Surviving the war
by Henry Uchiha
Summary: I pause, from the darkness I can see some of him, but not much. He has blonde hair, a soft eyes, and a remnants of what looks like a limp as he steps back to look me over. On his head is a small circle of a scar as though he had been shot. "Who the hell are you? Where am I?" I stare at him. "I'm Newt." He smiles. "Welcome to hell." Warning: boyxboy Don't like then don't read.
1. Waking up

_**Hi everyone. This is my first time writing a Maze runner fan fiction. I've recently just finished the first book though thanks to my evil friend they spoiled the rest of the series... a massive thanks to them! Anyway, I'm going to post a warning with the beginning of each chapter. I hope you all enjoy it, if you do, follow favourite or even review! Hope you have a nice day where ever you are. **Warning: story contains BoyxBoy, swearing, scenes of violence and bear in mind and ratings may be turned up at a later time.****_

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I still wait for it to end. The cold of the bitter winter, the merciless ice always at my throat and grinding into my chest as it gives me nothing but the most useless of hope for any survival. My physical body survives while my mental state deteriorates with each growing day. I stare through a lifeless eye that seems to show me nothing more than the poison of my wound. The infection that brings me to my knees as I know I have no more ounce of fight left in me. I'm just a shell that waits for time to decide it's final moment; degrading slowly and breaking because of time.

But why do I have to wait?

I know why… It's because I'm a survivor.

I know that much. I know how to run and to keep on going. I know how to ignore the pain of burning lungs and the ache of a body, which is ready to give in and collapse. I know how to sly my way through conversation and draw eyes away from my self.

At least… I think I do?

What is this darkness around me? Why does it decide that it claims me? This small box and corridor of a prison I find myself in? Why does it matter any more if I carry on the fight? Something tells me I've already lost now that I'm here. Something tells me that now I have failed everything that I ever set out to accomplish.

But how can I trust senses that come from an empty mind. How can I trust a personality that I know nothing about?

How can I trust myself when I don't even know who I am?

I try to look around but again this winter darkness seems to be compacted in the small room around me.

I feel my heart accelerating as my breathing becomes rapid. I'm trapped. I can't see the world around me… am I even still alive? What is around me?

I reach out a hand and feel the cold biting beneath the gentle of my fingers. It's rough but smooth… sharp in patterns. Steel? Some kind of metal I think. Is that what this is? Not a room of darkness but a cell of imprisonment? I'm a cornered rat. I'm stuck and I don't know what to do. I can't see anything. I should be scared. I should be terrified. I should be screaming for someone or anything to be there.

But I don't… I just stay there. I think, and that's good. Oh by god is that good. Thinking means that I'm still here. That something of me exists. But who was I really? I was just a boy in the darkness of this new nightmare. I was a dog in a cage. I needed to get out.

I reached up slowly and felt my face just to even assure myself that it was still there. It was madness but it was familiarity. It was insanity but it was something that I could partly understand. It was me.

Some part of me can't help but think that I really am dead... why can't I remember! Why can't I see or feel anything! Why isn't there anything else there but me and this cell!

_"STAND." _

I pause as that echoes around me.

I pull my knees closer to my chest. I close my eyes and try to remember ever bit of the tone that resonated and filled my head. _Knowing your enemy is half the battle. _My thoughts tell me. They act like a reflex. They don't leave me time to do anything but act on them. "STAND NOW. OR. DIE." The voice has no intention of malice or spite. There is no anger behind it but a matter of face statement.

I have no choice as I heard the walls beginning to groan and grind. In the flash of darkness I can see them; they're beginning to crush in towards me. I have to move or I'll have my legs through my chest.

I nod to the dark sky above me.

That is the only reaction I'll give it.

My voice still feels none existent.

I slowly stand and pull myself up. My legs are shaking. It hurts to stand as though I've been running for the last five hours. I thought it was just the cold causing me so much exhaustion, but no. I've been running. Recently. Something tells me if running is the thing which has exhausted me.

I must have done a hell of a lot of it.

_"THANK. YOU." _Despite the sheer loud sound of the voice against the announcements, I can finally note the first bit of a couple of emotions behind it. Gratitude and a wary back drop. _"Please. Hold. Still."_

I try not to scream as I feel something pierce into my wrist.

I notice a small square patch of the wall had opened up. A tube has coiled around my wrist before a syringe was now taking some blood from deep inside a vein. Why were they doing this? Why were they-

I pause as I feel something dripping down my cheek. It's heavier than the feel of water. _"We're losing him. He's going into shock." _I get the feeling that I'm not supposed to have heard that. _"Harry. Come on. Stay with me. Don't give in now."  
Like I would ever give in. I'm a survivor. I fight._

I can feel my heart. It's beating faster than I can feel. He's right. It feels as though it's going to give out. It feels like it can't take this pace any more. _"The heart can't take being re awoken like this. It's struggling. Send him up top. Maybe He can calm him down."_

The needle pulls back and I gasp in pain.

Hold onto the pain. That's how I'm going to stay alive.

But I'm so tired... I want to sleep.

I need to sleep.

_"Are we losing him?!" _A voice growls over the speaker.  
_"No. He's just going to sleep. Let him. Give him a taste of his old life. He needs something to hold onto encase it doesn't work when he surfaces."  
"Then wipe it clean."_

_What? No. NO! NO!_

I feel my eyes becoming heavier as I can no longer keep awake. _No! Don't! Don't do it! _My thoughts roar in anger.

But it's too late.

My eyes are closed.

My subconscious is becoming heavier and crippled till I'm in a dream.

_**-The Dream-**_

"One two."

My fist pumped out smashing into the bag.

"ONE TWO!"

The punch bag went back slightly as I felt the impact spread through the strong pose of my arm.

It was like the rhythm of a strong wave, cascading and slowing surging through ever single posed muscle. My arm however was resurgent and unwavering. It refused on every single level to be acknowledged as anything less than a solid pose of marble.

"Come on you're slacking!" A voice shouted over.

Why did everyone want that? Why did everyone want the damn best out of me! Training takes time! Get off my back! What do you want?!

"Oh it's okay sir. The freak is used to slacking."

I paused for a moment and turned my head towards the main ring of the arena. There was percy in all is self imposed, vein glory. His vest thrown to one side and abandoned now he was pushing his own limits. His slightly tanned chest gleamed under the spot lights of the large gym. His hair had been slicked back revealing those deep and all knowing eyes. His turquoise shorts revealed a bit more of his hip that made me blush for some reason.

He slowly walked forward, bored of the happenings in his own fight and lent slowly forward onto the corner of the wring, resting his head on the top rope and giving me that annoying smirk like smile which I detested with every fibre of my being. "Come on horsey. Stop slacking and come play with the big boys."  
"Yeah, I'm sure you like to play with boys." I barked and watched him flinch back as though I had actually landed a punch onto him.  
"You little bastard!" He snarled.  
"Shut up! Both of you! It's bad enough that we've had to double up with that stupid dance class, now I've got enough headaches without the two of you going at it! Now get back to training!"

Percy decided to give me one last confident look before he turned back to his opponent. "Oh interested again are we-"

**_BANG_**

I didn't look.

I didn't need to. The sound of the other boy's body hitting the floor was all that I needed to hear to understand what had happened: why Percy was so confident in himself and so lazy during that fight.

He had been toying with the boy and had been saving himself for the big one punch finish.

This was all just one big show for him.

That's what pissed me off.

After that... I'm not sure what exactly happened.

A rush began to fill my mind. My eyes darted back and forth over the warn leather. The dry and aged material groaned slightly as suddenly they were met by a blitz and frenzy of attacks. It seemed to just be the same rhythm beating over and over in my mind. _Punch, pause, punch, punch, pause, punch.  
_"EASY TIGER!" The same voice of the coach barked.

But now I had lost myself... I didn't know what was going on.

What was up and down? Where was left or right? My vision almost seemed completely black as my fists relentlessly pounded out against the leather with great prejudice. "Hey... I didn't mean to get you so-"  
"YAGH!"

I turned and only caught a glimpse as my fist went directly towards Percy's face. His forearm came up in a defence and took the full blunt blow of my hit. I didn't stop there. The same feral and frantic rhythm. My fists just shooting out at any available space on Percy I could find. "HEY Harry!" He snarled.

But I couldn't stop. There was just to much built up, unable to escape. Unable to do anything other than hate him with my entire existence? Everyone wanted nothing less then perfection out of me! "Harry!" Percy roared. "Calm down! WHY ARE YOU SO ANGRY?"

_Angry... ANGRY?!_

As soon as he said that I let the full torrent of pent-up rage explode across my mind with a scream. I imagined an unsanctioned fire, burning so bright and yet with a righteous darkness, as though summoned from the darkest pits of hell. It was reined by the memories of suffering I had kept pent-up for the last five years. The rage burst through and smashed him to the side as though he was a leaf on the highway. His eyes widened as I opened mine and I saw him stare at me with a drowning guilt.

Then as I went to lash out, my arm nearly went limp as I tore my gaze away from Percy.

Slowly it moved over and locked onto a dark slightly dark haired boy in the corner of the room with one of the instructors.

He slowly rose his almost porcelain hand out to the side and slid it through the air. His fingers stretched out as he leaned his head back and let his dark hair move back which originally had been swept across his face. His eyes were not completely black but the hazel brown in them were so intense that I couldn't help but just stare a bit deeper.

He was dressed in nothing other than some tight black shorts. His pale chest was exposed. He wasn't as toned as me or Percy, but he looked a hell of a lot stronger than what he did.

I was almost hypnotized as I watched his hand slowly come back down and move across his cheek delicately. His fingers were perfectly lined as they moved back out and he raised his leg as gently as he could. His foot pointed out carefully. He was so graceful and so delicate... yet he looked like he had more control and more beauty than anything I have ever seen before. "It's not good enough! What have I told you about your arms!"

_No... he looks perfect! There's nothing wrong with his arms! _My thoughts whispered.

The boy took a slow and steady breath as his soft gaze slowly turned towards the ceiling while his head bowed slightly backwards. His leg raise up in a perfect ninety degree angle as he raised up on the tip of his other foot.

I could see from here that his instructor was smiling internally though they didn't let it anywhere out of her external mask. Typical trainer critic style.

Percy followed my gaze and the next thing I knew was there was a fist launched at my face and sending me flying back towards the ground.

Even so... my eyes didn't move away from the boy once. He was so elegant and beautiful in stance.

His other leg slowly began to come down point first as though it was a sharpened blade about to make contact with a victim.

But this was pure and absolute beauty.

The boy's foot landed and even the trainer raised an eyebrow as he instantly shifted his weight and began to quickly flip.

I finally hit the cold ground and watched as he finished the third flip by spinning out on the tip of his toes. His other leg was arched back and move out as though he was a rotating razor.

He finally came to a stop after the fifth spin and caught his breath. His nimble fingers curled around a near bar and he took small, controlled breaths. "You think that this is going to be good enough?" The tutor growled. Her voice and tone went against everything that was hiding deep within her eyes. Her pride of the boy. He amazement over that performance.

All distorted in her voice by a blatant and controlled lie.

Why was I thinking like this? What did some other boy and his bloody dance have to mean with me-  
_Shut. The. Hell. Up. _My own thoughts cut me brilliantly short before I could go down the path of my usual angry attitude. _For once, just acknowledge something of yourself you idiot. _My thoughts scolded me worse than the punch from Percy had dealt onto me.

Speaking of which...

I spit blood from my mouth as I sat up off the ground and turned my glare back towards him. "Him! Seriously! You look at the dancing boy before anyone else!" Percy snarled into my face and I couldn't help but frown deeply.  
"What is your problem!" I glared and watched his eyes just sharpen harshly.  
"You are. You stupid bastard!" Percy came to take another swing at me but this time I was more prepared.

My fists sailed straight into his face before I pushed myself up quickly and scrambled back as fast as I could. "I'LL KILL YOU FOR THAT!" He snarled.  
"Enough!" The coach barked. "I'm sick to death of you both doing this every time you come to lessons! Harry! You can start coming after school!"  
"What!" Me and Percy boy exclaimed. That made me frown again. Why did Percy want me to stay in that class... Probably just so he wouldn't have to find another punching bag.  
"Unless you can both get on from now on in class. I will start getting you both put apart into different classes! That means Harry, you will be coming after school when Ms. has her one on one dance lessons! And believe you me horsey."

Me and Percy shot him a glare as he used that name.

"She doesn't like little runts like you."  
"She can hear you!" The woman who I guessed was Ms. Soleil barked out across to Coach.

She wasn't like many of the other teachers. Her figure was curvy and she was very thin. Her brown hair cascaded down to her shoulders and her eyes almost seemed to pierce you... but she was very much unlike any other teacher at school. We had her sometimes for English or she sometimes took up monitoring the library. But the reason she was unlike any other teacher at the school? She took a very different approach to class room work.

I remember when a new boy had entered the class room once. His name was... Carl... Connor? Something like that. He was a shocking sight really, golden blonde hair. Deep dark eyes, malnourished, he was like a twig that could be snapped. Plus he had been a bucket of nerves! He wouldn't meet anyone's gaze! But I digress.

The boy had walked into the classroom half way into the lesson. Ms had been half way into quoting a book we had to write a project about when she finally noticed him. "Yes?" She said indifferently as the boy shuffled his feet nervously.  
"Um... they told me to come here." He whispered.  
"Speak. Up." She stated as she lent back on the desk. Her reading glasses were dangling from her neck. Her perfectly made up eyelashes, batted once as she was giving him a quicker analysis than even the students were.  
"I'm new." The boy said a little louder but was still quiet in his approach. He kept his eyes locked on the ground.  
"Take a seat then." She shrugged as she circled back around the desk... though ever from here, I could see she was looking at him out the very corner of her eye. Something about this boy interested her for some reason.

Well... It wasn't as though he wasn't good looking I guess. "W-Where." He looked around at the cold and blank looks of the other students. Ms however had a new fascinated look in the corner of her eye. She knew something that we didn't... she recognized something which we were looking for but just hadn't figured out yet. "Sit by who ever you think is the best looking." She said.

Immediately every student in the room perked up at this vanity competition... well. With the exception of me. I was still studying the expression in Ms' face as she watched the boy openly now. Without any resignation of hiding what she thought.

Some of the guys slouched back in their chairs acting all cool, looking for acceptance as the best looking kid among a crop of the morons which we were. Percy grinned to the boy and for a moment I thought I saw him give the boy a small wink. "Yeah, come on. Chose-"  
"Quiet class." Ms glanced at me for a moment as she almost seemed to consider something before she turned back to look at everyone else. "Let him decide." She turned back to the front and began to write out on the large board, copying quotes while the boy looks between everyone in the room.

But when I eventually saw Ms glance at me again and lean back on her desk, surprise ran through me. "Isabella, shift yourself."  
"Excuse me?" My best friend looked up from doing her make up in blatant disregard of what was going on in the class.  
"Shift." Ms stated and I said nothing as the boy came and sat next to me.

What I did notice was that Percy cast the boy a loathing glare so deep that I lost my patience and lent back in my chair and casually looked over. "Aw Percy. Disappointed that you wasn't chosen as a boy magnet?" I felt Ms glance at me casually before she turned back to the front, suppressing her smirk.  
"Watch your mouth Horse face." He growled back at me. "I could get any girl in this room faster than you."  
"I wonder if he can get into detention as fast as you can?" Ms said casually and leaned back on her desk, giving a small nod to the door before Percy glared around and stormed off. "Now back to the Odyssey."

That had been a weird day... but it also had been the only time that boy had ever sat by me in class. After that he had just ran out of class. Some say that he transferred class or schools. I didn't believe so... I don't listen to idle gossip.

So all in all... the threat of having to have an extra hour after school instead of having to deal with Percy being a moron. Either situation I could handle...

Hang on...

I looked over to see where Ms was as she was giving more instructions to the boy who moved in absolute perfect beauty. His form and body was perfect. I could feel my pulse racing slightly as I couldn't think of anything else I'd rather be doing than watching this boy just perform.

There was no uncertainty. No hesitation. Just him and his dancing. "Pick it up!" Ms said calmly, it was less out of bark but more out of an experimental idea.

But then...

He came to a stop.

For a moment I caught my breath, wanting to see what he would do next. Would he carry on dancing? Would he sing? Would he stop and give it in for the day. I knew that I wanted to hear his voice. I wanted to know if his voice was as silky and beautiful as his movements. I was desperate to know. "You look tired." She lent back against the wall and looked the boy over. He had his back to me and I was desperate to get a full look at his face. I had only gotten small glimpses before. But now curiosity was burning as an inferno inside of me.

"Well?"

In response the boy tapped his foot down.

"I get it." She gave a soft smile. "But try and at least keep some of the Ballet in it-"  
"Ballet? HA!"

The boy paused as Ms turned around and looked at Percy. "You think a guy doing Ballet is funny?"  
"No it's just not as cool as ordinary dancing." Percy shrugged.  
"Shut up... or I'm going to punch you in your fucking face." I growled at him, growing even more tired than usual of his stupid arrogant self.

"Don't you dare." Ms whispered softly.

_**Tap**_

I slowly turned my head back to the boy and watched as his foot came back down and made the same echoing tune. Her hand reached out and came to rest on his shoulder. "Don't." She smiled at the boy until a sharp glare broke out at Percy. "Butt. Yours. Detention. Now!" She snapped.  
"You got to be kidding me!" I looked back at Percy who had a face that almost seemed to be disbelief.  
"Cocky bastard." I muttered under my breath as he walked away. I knew very well that he had heard me.

But that was the first time that he had ever not fought back against me.

He cast me one sideways glance before walking off and leaving me with more questions than answers.

But right now I had one that needed it be answered right there and right then.

I slowly turned back towards the corner of the room where Ms had been stood. Only to see her packing her bag as the bell went off.

No boy.

How had he gone so quickly?

I had to find out who he was.

_**-End of dream-**_

Even as I was slowly beginning to blink my eyes open I could feel it fading. Every ounce of the memory was slipping away faster than I could recall it. _Hold onto something. Any part of it. Any thing, no matter how small of a detail it may be! HOLD ONTO IT! _My thoughts screamed in pure desperation and I tried. By god I was trying to hold in all the information but it was sliding away. _No. Please! Come on please! _My mind begged.

But it was absolutely no use.

Even as I felt the tight pod which was now my cell came to a stop and the walls pulled back, everything was still falling away.

I laid back and just stare at the ceiling. The gave me something just to have it took away?

They tease me with a glimpse of my past?

Now I'm pissed off.

But I'm exhausted. Even as I stare up and watch a crack of light zigzagging through the ceiling and breaking open I still just lay there.

"Same as always." The first solid voice I hear echoes around me.

It leaps down and lands in a crouch above me. "Get up, first day of being a soldier is here."

I pause and look at the small glimpse of him that I can get. I can see some stuff but not much. He has blonde hair, a square jaw, and a remnants of what looks like a limp as he steps back to look me over. On his head is a small circle of a scar as though he had been shot...

His eyes follow my gaze and he grins."Got a name?" He asks a little softer.  
"Who the hell are you? Where am I?" I ignore his question openly and dive for my own.  
"I'm Newt." He smiles. "And you're on the battle field. Welcome to hell."


	2. Run as fast as you can

_**Hi everyone. Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter and I hope you have a nice day where ever you are. **Warning: story contains BoyxBoy, swearing, scenes of violence and bear in mind and ratings may be turned up at a later time. I want to thank anyone who favourites or follows this story =)****_

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I pause for a moment as I watch his body get illuminated by a loud and dark flash.

The ground shakes and I pause as he falls forward onto me. His crouch hadn't been strong enough to hold him in place. I watch the distant dance of orange above us send a aura of light that flows around his eyes. They seem so dark now that they are illuminated. They're cold and empty as though the very boy himself was nothing but a shell...

_The recovering._

_What? _I frown as that sudden and certain thought comes into mind. It seemed so certain and beyond doubt... but at the same time it seemed desperate to be acknowledged in it's fleeting passing. But just like everything else that seemed to go through my head, it faded with no mercy or echo as to what it had been. No release from this darkness that holds everything strange and absent. Still I'm here fighting for even the slightest clue to who and what I am?

But as I'm lay back here on the floor and staring up at his eyes I can't help but feel as though this isn't the first time I've been in a situation like this. I know there is someone important that used to be like this with me. It hurts my chest the more I try to remember. It's just another reason to fight and figure out what this expanding gap in my head is.

As if there weren't enough already.

"Well, time for resting is over. Get the bloody hell up we got a battle to win." I pause and stare even deeper into his eyes before he pulls back and holds out a hand to help me up. He's wearing what almost seems like a black material over his torso. It looks like leather but seems to have a stronger metallic flash to it. Though it is darker than the night I can still see where it frames around his torso and arms. I can see the muscles that line his arm. I can see the forming six pack.

I see him.

"You gonna stare at me all day or are you gonna get up eh Private."

I wrap my arms around his neck slowly and keep my gaze locked with his. "What the hell are you doing?" He exclaims.  
"Shut the fuck up and duck."

I flip us and slam him down harshly as fire roars over our heads in a screeching wail. I swear for a moment that as I glance over my shoulder and up towards it, I see a face in the fire momentarily. Pure golden eyes and a roaring face with snarls with agony and anger as it missed us... I must be going mad. I'm seeing things. That can be the only logical answer that I can see right now. But from the fact that Newt has his head turned away sharply and is doing everything in his power not to look at it. I feel that there may be something more to this than what I'm seeing. I feel the clothes along my back begin to give way as they are set alight and fall to remaining shreds beneath us. It takes my full and concentrated will not to scream out as the flames lick along my spine, almost as though they are tasting my skin, seeing how much they enjoy causing me excruciating agony.

I bite my lips till blood begins to slowly drip down my chin and splash Newt on the cheek.

Then when I can no longer hold back my cries?

His hand clamps down over my mouth and he looks into my eyes with a deep pleading. _Don't say anything. Please. For the love of god. Don't say anything! _That's what his eyes convey in a message to me. That look of pure desperation... I know that even if I could remember my life before these last few minutes.

I never would have seen such desperation like that. I never would have seen someone needing me so much to do one thing.

So I do it.

Tears stream down my face and cover his fingers as I can't take the pain. It's sinking further and further into me as it settles on the spot in my back, opposite my naval. It's marking me. It's branding me. _A bit longer. Please! Please! _His eyes continue to plead to me as our situation doesn't change. It's hanging in their as long as possible. It's trying to get me to make a noise. It's trying to get me to do something. Anything to acknowledge to it that I'm in pain.

But I can't allow it.

I'm in the awkward position where now I have no choice but to protect someone else.

Finally the flames pass and I collapse onto him. I have no energy. The flames seemed to have sapped me, body and soul. I can't think. I can't see. I can only feel. Feel as the heat of my skin blisters causing smoke to rise into the cold night air. I feel his warm breath rushing over my neck as he whispers softly. "Come on. Don't be down on me now! Come on!" He pauses as I feel him shift slightly. I'm guessing he has seen what has happened to my back. By the way his body tenses beneath me I know that it's not good. "Don't make me give you the bleeding kiss of life cause I will."  
"You should be so lucky." I manage to whisper as the air comes back into my lungs.

The heavy scent of burning is in the air around me. The stench seems to be staining everything like ink spreading in water. I can only fear what this may attract in this new and very strange surroundings. "Can you move?"  
"I think so. D-Don't worry about me." I turned my head up and with his help I manage to move slightly.

But then I stop.

For a moment I stay absolutely nothing but crouch as I listen intently to the large cries coming all around us.

Then I finally take my first clear sighted look to what should be the sky above us... but al I see is the black of night.

The remains of what looks like a ravaged barrier.

The black and deep purple swirl almost like they are crying. They move rapidly and blend over us while stars fracture in broken shards moving with this strange and swirling tide of dark colour. What remains? Why does is this strange and yet familiar to me? "I think you can get off me now." Newt whispers with a gravel voice. His hand curls around my wrist and he hauls me to my feet, not giving me the luxury of a choice this time.

Even under the orange explosions which seemed to shake this small, open cell, I still stared at his face as his gaze was torn away and he seemed to be preparing himself for something. His body was tense and his grip was like a vice. I couldn't have broken free... even if I had wanted to. "Get ready to run. What ever you do. Do not look back or around. Keep yours eyes either focused on me or directly in front of you."

I nod and focus my eyes directly in front of me as he gets behind me and gets us lined up in a specific direction. He seems unsure at first but becomes quickly certain as we feel the heat drawing back towards us again as it seems like that wave of fire is returning. "We've got to run. Now." He states.

My nerves are drowned in a deep and gnawing fear. My legs are burning and ache with a stabbing pain. I just want to curl up and sleep.

But to sleep here would mean I wouldn't wake to see another torn sky.

"Okay, get ready." Newt whispers softly into my ear as his hand slides gently along my bare shoulder and we crouch, waiting to pounce. I can already feel burns beginning to surface and become even thicker on my back. His hand is barely the slightly touch above the skin. If I couldn't feel just how badly my entire back was burnt, I could probably guess from how little he was touching me. "Remember. Focus directly ahead of you. Don't become distracted by anything you see."  
"What if I fall?" The stupid question escapes my lips. Of course I know what's going to happen if I fall.

I'm going to die.

If I don't make this now. If I don't get out of this god damn box, I'm going to die. One way or another.

"I'll fall with you."

I pause. Surprise fills me. Already I know that no one has ever spoken to me like that. From my over all persona so far I can guess that I'm a loner. The impulse to protect this boy was something out of complete a unknown, spontaneous urge which I'm sure for the rest of my life I will never be able to explain. Maybe it was something to do with fate... maybe it was instincts telling me to protect him... maybe it was even something else. But right now all that matters is staying alive. "I'll be right behind you." He whispers and I lace my fingers with him.

I feel like a child. I'm scared. I'm truly scared. I don't know what is waiting for me in front of this box. I don't know what nightmares I'm going to face. I just know... that having this boy with me is the only reason I have the smallest butterfly of courage within me right now. Having his hand to hold... It is the thing which is giving that butterfly the power to fly.

_Time to spread your wings. _

I reach out a blackened hand. The flames must have spread further than I thought... The skin is crispy and flaking off to reveal raw and burnt sores. Even so, my fingers still curl around the edge of the box and I take a long and deep breath. My heart beat is echoing in my ears. Everything else is drowning out till the only sounds are those of my breathing and my racing heart.

_And Fly. _

I yank harshly and vault over the exit.

I feel Newt pushing me, giving me the extra force that I need to make it up to the ledge. "GO!" He roars and I waste no time in locking my sight on anything in front of me.

I try not to look up as I hear the screech of flames returning to me as quickly as though they had never left. It's diving right for Newt. I can't push him out of the way. I haven't got the strength. The only thing that is standing between Newt and that fire... is me.

I can't let him get hurt.

_Come to far to be finished by some stupid little ember. _My thoughts roar. A weak smirk slowly moves at the side of my mouth as I whisper. "Bring it."

As the flames hit me, I meet them on with a head on collision. I give them no chance to come close to Newt. I've given them no chance to even have the pleassure of looking at him. _You're willing to fall for me? _I think as out of the corner of my eye I see his body tense as he scrambles over the ledge. _Well I'm willing to fight for you_. I've leapt into the air as though a Gazelle was sprinting over a stream. I spin and out stretch my foot as I go like a spinning top through the air. I'm an razor cutting through the fire. The fire dances with me as it moves along my arms and down my spine like they are tracing the bones and movements. It lines my cheeks and circles my eyes as though all of a sudden it is becoming a body armour and embracing me deeply in a hug.

I get the smallest glimpse of Newt's eyes widening as I spread my arms and punch through the last bit of the wave with an almighty screech of my own.

The screech is just fuelled as I make contact with those golden eyes which blister me but fade.

The fire falls and diminishes as though I had just ripped it's very heart out... but at the cost of my hand which is now numbed. "Come on!"

The screeches surrounding us become louder as my bear foot slams down onto the ash grey gravel.

Up ahead I can see the longest of a distance away. A Green island. It's hills spire into the sky like an unbelievable mountain. They are the most lush colour of emerald. Even from here, the turquoise water sparkles as though it is in sunlight. Pure and absolute sunlight which will not be broken by the darkness of this sky which is growing. The colours of purple and black are swirling more violently over head.

That's when I realise.

This island up ahead. The mountain hills. The expanse I can see of jungle. The shinning water. It's under a real bit of sky! It's in real sunlight! A perfect and complete circle of sunlight! "Don't look any other way!" Newt snarls. "Focus on that island and that Island only!"

I can tell by the way he says it that this is definite. "You have to move kid! You have to go now!"

I keep my eyes fixated on that golden aura around that beautiful island. The water looks so close and yet so far away. "You're going to have to really want it. You have to want to get there otherwise you will never get it! The place messes with your head. Imagine it's like a dream! The smallest bit of doubt will keep you here!"  
_Like a dream? More like a nightmare! _

This is ridiculous. How could I want anything more than to reach that place! How could I want anything else-

_Maybe that box can take me back to the way I came._

And there it was.

The smallest bit of doubting, hanging in like a parasite. My subconscious not being able to keep up with my mind. That was what was keeping me here.

That's what was going to get me killed!

_There is no safety back there. There is nothing back there but death. we have to go with Newt! We're gonna die without him!  
So far he hasn't done so good himself! _It was strange having my own voice snarling back at me in my head. _Look at you! You're burnt! You're gonna die! And for what?! Some boy you barely know!_  
_Who the fuck do you think you are!?  
I'M YOU MORON  
_"Good point." I muttered and groaned as the pain in my back flared. We had been sprinting out flat for the last ten minutes and we seemed to be getting no where.

The fires in the sky seemed to be rekindling themselves while some suspicious metallic scraping sound was getting closer and closer from behind us. Newt was growing more desperate by the second. He seemed almost close to just picking me up and carrying me off but the hard look of determination in his face seemed to say something else. "Listen kid. I don't know your story. But you got to listen to me! I promise I'm going to keep you safe. I promise as long as your with me, you will never get hurt! I give you my word!"

We paused as I stared at him. He wasn't just saying it for the sake of motivating me... he... truly meant it.

This boy I hardly knew... he cared for me. He was looking out for me. He didn't have to make these promises much less sound sincere about them. He didn't know me... I could be anyone.

_I trust him. _

There was a cold rush in my mind before I heard a smug and grinning voice of my own whisper: _Congratulations... you pass the first trial. Good hunting.. that's if you survive and prove your statement._

"What?" My eyes widened.

I turned and almost let out a mad yelp as I turned and found the Island a short distance from me.

All that was separating it from me was a large canyon fissure. It was as though the island I had seen barely a minute before was now breaking and fracturing away from this ashen and broken limbo of a nightmare storm. _There's no way I can get over that gap. It's impossible! There's no way I could jump over that distance! _

There was doubt once again.

Newt looked at me with a renewed smile. "You trust me." He reached out a hand across the expanding and growing fissure. "Please! You trust me! You have to trust me now more than ever!"  
"I-I can't jump that."

The sound of an oncoming hoard was growing louder behind me. "Don't look!" He roared as I went to turn my head but stopped. "Please jump!"  
"What if I fall!" Tears began to surface to the edge of my eyes. This was becoming to much. I couldn't handle it! It was all just impossible!  
"Then I promise." He said quietly.

I looked up through the tears to see him offer me a soft smile. "I'll fall with you."

_You could try turning the other way and running-  
_"Fuck off" I snarled to my thoughts before taking a deep breath and bounding forward to take my leap of faith.

_I can't do it! I can't do it!_

The fissure kept opening wider and wider.

_I can't-_

I locked eyes with Newt as his gaze became hard set.

_He will catch me... He will catch me._

I smiled softly as I reached out both my arms towards him. His hands were ready to grab me and hold me.

_I can. _I smiled and watched as he mirrored the expression.

_I can't. _My smile melted away and a scream escaped me as the fissure widened and I began to drop like a rock.


	3. Dressing the wounds

_**Hi everyone. I hope you have a nice day where ever you are. **Warning: story contains BoyxBoy, swearing, scenes of violence and bear in mind and ratings may be turned up at a later time. I want to thank anyone who favourites or follows this story =) Maybe leave a review if you're enjoying it?****_

* * *

"I GOT YOU!" I cry out in pain as his hands grab onto my wrist viciously.

His eyes are set wild and determined. Almost like they are full of madness. My other hand latches around to grab his as the expanding cliff is beginning to close faster around us. The fissure is trying to crush me! _Told you, you wouldn't make it.  
SHUT UP! _The doubt continues. Even now when I'm on the verge of falling to my death. When I'm seconds away from being crushed into nothing... it is still there. Will it continue to hound me till I take my last breath? Till the oxygen is crushed out of me? Till every bone in my body is smashed beyond recognition and I'm nothing more than a obliterated corpse.

I'm lost in a world of pain. It getting harder to tell reality from the intense and never ending pain. I need it to stop. I need to focus.

I stare up at Newt as he is trying with all his might to pull me over the edge.

I the fissure is grinding shut faster and faster. It sounds as though the very land is stampeding at me with the force of a rushing, run away train. If I fall now I will die. If I wait any longer, I will die.

Either way this situation ends... _I'm going to die_.

"No you're not!" Newt growls and lets out frustrated scream. His arms are burning with the effort to pull me up. It has nothing to do with how light or heavy I am. It has everything to do with how exhausted he is. I can see better now. His eyes have dark circles around them... like he hasn't been sleeping. "You should just let me fall." I whisper softly.

His eyes become harder than the rocks closing in on me. "I told you."

I felt myself beginning to rise as he screamed with the effort. He was too exhausted to be able to do this... and yet he was!

"You're not going to die!"

He and I both scream as he pulls me over the edge just as the fissure closes. The last sight I catch of it is how it resembles a large fanged mouth, the black darkness lashes out like a tongue, just missing being able to brush over my ankle. The shadows from deep within almost seem to hiss at the loss of not being able to claim me and drag me to my death. I swear for the slightest of seconds before it closed, the shadows looked like hands trying to drag me away.

But now the adrenaline floods out of my body, leaving me a trembling mess as I can't do anything but think over in my head. _It's gone. It's gone. It's gone. _

I can't do anything else except collapse onto him and close my eyes as I pant for breath. My chest is heavy and hurts. My heart is racing beyond what it should be able to do. I'm in shock. _Calm down or you're going to pass out! _My voice roars angrily in my head. It sounds like such an cruel accusation as though I should not feel anything like this?

It takes me a minute to realise that tears are now sprinkling down my cheek. My chest is tight with pain as my skin burns and tingles with a deep cold whenever I move. My arms wrap around myself and I begin to realize just how deep into shock I really am going. I feel like I'm back in that god damn lift. I'm trapped and can't breathe! There's no one there! Just me, here, stuck.

Staring at a fucking beast which now watches me with a longing and deep rooted emotion through sparkling crimson eyes. How to describe what I am looking at? A horde of great metal beats. Giant hounds with flecks of bare skin showing under the black, obsidian armour of spiked fur. It's muzzle pulled back to show the dripping and oozing gooey slime of a deep emerald slime, grinding through the thick titanium fangs. It's crimson sensor eyes seemingly looked completely glazed over but were completely focused.

It's long spiked tail slowly unrolled from around it's shiny and intense form. It was a long and large thing, about the thickness of a tree trunk, there seemed to be a main bone connected at the centre but mainly consisted of layer upon layer of metal spikes which all begin to shuffle and grow as they seem to want to wrap around me and pull me tight.

It's giant paws dig further into the ground as on the outside of it's putrid skin a vein of metal moves from each elongated and intense claw and back up the leg of each creature. "Stop looking at me." I manage through the new and painful breathing which seems to have come with the clammy and burning temperature of my broken and yet fractured skin. I hate it. I hate them looking at me with that deep and ravenous hunger. "Calm down." Newt whispers quietly, almost in a warning but my eyes are still locked on them.  
"I said. Stop. Looking at me." I growled, closing my hand into a fist and feeling the blood explode out through the ashen black skin as my it breaks. But I don't even care as I stare it down. I know what it is doing.

It's mocking me.

It let's out a long drawn growl which seeps a puddle of that green ooze onto the ground in a growing flooding line which begins to strangely creep to a stop just in front of me, along the long scar line of the fissure. It can't get anywhere near us...

I smirk.

I reach out just fine and find my blackened hand can move through the air unlike the trailing slime towards the ground... I can get in and out.

But they can't.

"I told you." I reached down with a grin and picked up a sharp rock into my palm. "Stop looking at me!" I scream and hurl the rock with as much strength as I can.

The beast lets out a howling scream as the sound of shattering glass fills the air. I allow myself a smug sadistic joy at the notion before I see the blazing black hole eyes of the creature that I have just pissed off.

It fixes me with a loathing snarl and lunges towards the barrier.

What's worse? Is for a moment it even begins to look like a boy. Golden hair distorted by the rich crimson of blood which splatters across it's face. I must be hallucinating. It must be my madness. I must have lost too much blood. That's it. I must have lost my mind and this is some hallucinated dream. Because right now I'm staring at the bare form of the boy who bangs his fists frantically against the invisible barrier which is holding him back. "It's okay. He can't hurt you."

I barely even notice Newt now as I stare deeply into those black tainted eyes. I can see the image of the boy flickering frantically between boy and back to beast. This is madness! It has to be! This just can't be real! "No."

I watch it back away as it becomes the solid image of the beast again. My mind locking onto what I can only perceive as the truth of what I am surrounded by. I have to accept it's a beast about to kill me. That way, I can feel nothing.

But what I feel right now? I'm stuck beneath the tide of shock. My skin is in agony just as I am. I'm losing too much blood. My head is spinning. What happened. By god what has happened! I've ran, been burnt, been hunted, branded... At least I think I have. The fire on my back is clearly and painfully shaped.

I breathe and let out a heavy sob as I bury my head into the thick black armour of his chest. I can feel the way it is shaped over his strong torso, like some kind of full shaped Roman. The black armour slowly moving around his strong six pack and across his naval while his chest is more toned than anything in my wildest dreams... why am I thinking like this? I need to think more clearly! I have to recognise how I'm going to survive the hell which I am now completely imprisoned in.

_Focus. Focus you weakling. Wake up and get your head back together._

All I do now is stand here and pause closing my eyes painfully.

It won't stop! It won't stop! Why won't these stupid emotions stop!

Why am I crying? Why can't I stop? I'm don't even care that he is seeing me like this now. The shock has spread through my body. Right now I'm completely desperate to stop. I'm showing every ounce of weakness. _You're weak! Pathetic! Look at you! _The voice screams ever so loudly in my head. Everything... everything is just so wrong. This place is just completely impossible! Living fire which slowly burns and brands you as though you are it's toy? Hoards of rampaging metal which hunts you down as though you are some lowly dog? The very ground itself, trying to swallow and claimed you before it can crush you. What the hell is this place? What kind of person could create a hell zone like this? How cruel would you have to be to develop a landscape that wants to kill you?!

But right now, fear and hatred for the bastards who put me here is the least of my worries. Though I'm certain of absolutely one thing. Hatred and fear aren't going to get me killed... deep down I have a feeling that right now they are the only thing giving my body the capability to be able to keep moving. Pain is the thing that keeps my heart beating louder and louder because now my hatred is keeping the blood flowing. I'm only alive because right now? I'm the desperate clanging creature which is submerged and clinging to life out of the only aim to find my torturer and...

And rip their throat out.

But that doesn't matter now. I can still feel it.

My back still feels as though it is drowned in fire... but then I let out a gasp as I feel Newt's cold fingers and arm slowly set down gently around me as he holds me. I can tell by the way he is tensed that this action does not come easily to him. He isn't use to the action of comforting someone... just as I know I am not used to being someone that is comforted by another person. This action feels completely wrong to me... and yet I know that this is probably so right.

He is hesitant about this, as though he feels showing his emotions are wrong at this moment of time. But I can't help and agree, I shouldn't be crying. It makes me feel weak. Drained. Exposed under burning eyes. It makes me feel ashamed that I feel. It makes me feel like I'm small and insignificant that I'm showing anything of emotion or holding onto this boy that I've barely known for the last half an hour.

But part of me just doesn't care any more.

His fingers are so cold that they seem to numb the agony slightly. They roam slowly across my back and I stiffle a scream into the harsh, smooth material of his chest. I can feel it all cracking down my spine until he finally manages to move the broken patches down. His fingers caress the exposed and open pink flesh that lays beneath all the black cracks. All my skin is obliterated. The only part that remains is partly my face, but even that is now marred with the scar of whiskers and the blackened circles around my eyes. It all burns so much. The pain is so deep. God... I just want it to stop. I want him to keep his hands there. I want him to hold me. I want to forget everything that has happened since I woke up to this god damn nightmare! "Hey come on now. We've still got a bit of a ways to go." His voice is so soft that I almost lose hearing of it as a breeze brushes through the air.

I slowly pull myself back up. I can feel the skin on my back cracking open with the slightest bit of movement. The feeling of dripping blood quickly follows without hesitation. It stings my skin which is still weeping pain across my nerves. I wish it would all just blackout and die without anything at all. I wish I could go to the bliss of the afterlife which I imagined as my salvation away from this hell... that's if, this wasn't already my hell.

_**-Break-**_

Newt watched as we came up the the edge of the water. We have been walking for what feels like hours. The gravel ground beneath us was always changing from the metallic colour of sandy long rocks to the mist covered coast which I somehow wish nothing more than to escape from. It makes me feel uncomfortable how it was Always shuffling and trying to reach up to swallow us. "It's like blooming quick sand." He always growls every now and then. That silky bewitching voice ever so quiet but dominant in the limbo which we were submerged in.

But I can't focus. Everything around me is nothing more than a shifting drug which is making my vision go wild.

It's only when Newt's hand wrap around my torso and I stare at my reflection in a light pool of turquoise, do I realise that we're here... how? It still looked as though we were miles away!

I turn my head and slowly look back up to his saddened face as a thought is crossing it. "You're losing too much blood. It's going to make you weak for a while." He whispers so softly that I almost miss it. "You're a bloody idiot doing that to save me. I ain't ever seen anyone take on one of the Wicked let alone one of the Betrayed."  
_Betrayed? Wicked? _Words so strange and yet familiar to my head.  
"Do I dare ask." I hiss between my teeth and close my eyes, feeling the control of air through my lungs a continuous struggle.  
"The Betrayed... you just witnessed their... form." Newt seemed to be struggling with the words as he pushed his lips into a very hard line. I wonder if they are soft enough to be kissed-  
_Time. And. Place. _A voice growls deeply inside of my head.  
"They were once soldiers... like us." He looks back in the direction that we have just come from. "They went through... The _Changing_." He scoffs slightly at that as though he finds it bitterly ironic in some old memory. "But all that matters is, they were stung or bitten by one... then they came through the change. They now have their own patrolled area. Just like the lived in their own land as we do... I hope we never have to see it." He whispers with certainty.

He always keeps his voice low. He never seems to speak above the wind.

But for some reason inside of me... I have a need to speak up. I feel as though by insulting them... he's insulting me.  
_Did you hit your head when you jumped?  
_"Fuck off." I snarl quietly, hoping that he didn't notice. "But I guess even they must feel threatened when they see a h-" I pause as I was about to say: a hot soldier. "A heavily armed soldier, approaching hem with a gun like that." I point and indicate to the one on his back.

"And yet, they're always the first to attack." He mumbles quietly. "But even then...You see... we don't just normally dress like this." He indicates down to his sculpted torso in the heavy armour,. His eyes are piercing and bitter as he looks over himself with great criticising nature. "We only ever get this whenever we cross the border." He now indicates his head at the water. "You will see what I mean soon. But you got a name kid?"

He finally lowers me down and places me gently on the floor as I no longer feel control of my limbs. My body feels as though it's still just burning in agony. I'm starting to get sick of hearing him call me kid! We're the same bloody age after all! "I don't remember." I admit with a deep bitter stab while I try to search my mind for some form of answer to the question... but nothing comes. My mind is still the empty expanse of nothing but thought and the horror which has brought between me and the last hour of being here. "Well... how about you earn it. Like the rest of our tribe. I'm going to have to cool down this skin... try and get some of the Wicked's poison out."  
"Poisonous flames?" I barely manage a glare through half lidded eyes.  
"Here." He pulled out a line of rope that he used to get down to me in the lift.

He gently lifts my mouth open and pulls the length in sideways so that my teeth are biting down into it. "You're going to need this." He whispers softly.  
_What? _I slowly stare up at him as he pulls out a cupped handful of water. _Why would I need-_

My scream fills the air as the water pours down my skin.


	4. For one moment

_**Hi everyone. **Warning: story contains BoyxBoy, swearing, scenes of violence and bear in mind and ratings may be turned up at a later time. I want to thank anyone who favourites or follows this story. Hope you are all enjoying it!****_

* * *

Even my vocal chords seemed to give out as Newt hushed me softly and kept the water moving across my body in a constant and free trickle. His hands gently ran over the strands of scorched and damaged skin. His eyes took on a oddly beautiful shine in the new glow of the water. "Bite down." He whispered as quietly as he could while he tried to position a curled length of rope around my mouth which I had spit out earlier from my first banshee like screams. But now I was desperate. I needed to vent somehow. I needed something to express the pain... and digging my teeth into the rope seemed like a great way to do that.

But as my eyes rolled up to look at him while, I noticed more than just the new blush on his face. The dark strands of his armour seemed to begin to flicker like a shadow in sunlight. It was as though a layer of the world was stripping back, now that we neared this strange and ever ghostly island of tropical jungle beauty. His eyes were like beautiful crystals that began to stare over me... but it's hard to feel embarrassed when you are in that amount of pain. "Blooming hell." He growls for the first time raising his voice slightly as he inspected my lower half.

_Really encouraging me here! _My voice snaps in my head and he freezes for a moment as though he had suddenly been hit by a bolt of lighting. His eyes widen before he pulls himself back into a mask of calm recognition. For now I was still the new boy. Saving him from that fire creature or not. I was still not trust worthy in his eyes. And I had to respect that.

Because in his position I would be thinking the same thing.

But even as he slid away the last shreds of whatever I had been wearing, I closed my eyes out of humiliation and embarrassment. _Oh look, I can feel embarrassed while still in agony! _I shouted even louder in my head as my paralysed body wouldn't curl into a ball like I wished.

No. I just lay there as he ran his hands over the broken skin of my lower half and massaged the water into the burns. _I want to die. _I kept thinking over and over.

Newt would keep glancing at me with a curious look but however would keep his eyes focused on what was going on in front of him.

Eventually my body went slack and I lost all function.I couldn't even move my jaw any more, my eyes, my fingers or legs. My body had just simply locked down and refused to be acknowledged. The over whelming pain was just too much. No. This amount of agony was just impossible!

Newt however just began to slowly give a strong look and an edge of a smile at his mouth. "You know. I once knew a boy look you. Bloody mad an all. He was just like you in many ways. He took on something which we never would have. Even against all the odds and everything we told him. But he came out a winner." Newt smiled to himself now with a small sparkle in his eyes. His voice was so soothing that even I relaxed slightly from it's beautiful tone. His words, weaving through my head as I give in control and lose myself into the picture of his face and the tale of his words. I take no notice of how the water which washes off my back, has turned nearly completely black.

Newt gently kept the water sprinkling over my legs before coming to the space between my knees and my navel which is facing down, giving him no sight of myself other than the other embarrassing fact that my arse is showing and I hope to dear god that he's not staring to much because then I really will blush. "His name was Thomas... at least, that's what we thought it was, before we all found out... he was so strong... kind, and brilliant." He paused for a moment. "He was my friend... my best friend." Newt sighed. "I miss him."

I felt something stirring in the pits of my stomach... probably just more pain.

He must have took it that his words had some effect and he thought he was helping me. But all that was going on was that I was sinking further and further back into a state of wishing that I had dead. I wished that the _Betrayed_ would just come and carry me off to whatever hell or violent death it had planned for me! I just wanted all of my life to end.

Nothing was worth this amount of agony.

"You might have a bit of a surprise when you look at yourself." He whispers in warning. "But either way... despite appearance, you have a lot of strength kid. Now hold up for the last bit." He cautiously tied the rope tightly around the back of my head so that it couldn't fall out. "Here. Let me try and make you a bit more comfortable."  
_"Ummm." _The muffled groan escapes my lips as I feel him pull me across his sitting and curled legs. His cold fingers trace over my cheek, leaving blistering stings, preparing me for what I know is about to come.

But strangely, with my head resting in his lap and his hand stroking across my cheek, I feel strangely sedated. The agony moves slightly as my focus moves onto how his touch feels.

Comforting. Kind. Stable.

Something in the back of my head tells me that I'm not used to any of those emotions.

I look up into those soft, puppy brown eyes and watch him steel himself. _Great. I'm making him feel awkward. _I snarl at myself in my thoughts._ Show no pain. Give no mercy. Work through everything and then keep on moving from the shadows._ My eyes stare blankly at him, but he's looking back at me as though all of a sudden I'm the only thing in the world. His eyes widen a fraction but he says nothing until he has a cupped hand of water and holds it by my head. "Last bit and then we can rest for a bit before we move towards the island." He assures me.

That's when I realise it.

Newt is a leader. His body language; confidant and dominant. He radiates strength and character...

And... and...

Deep down, something inside me blossoms as I take that in.

I give the slightest movements of my head and then shred the rope with my teeth as it pours down over my head.

I won't let out a scream though. No. Not now. Not in front of Newt like this. No.

But the soon apparent sizzling of my own skin becomes overbearing in my ears with the sound of every heartbeat. My teeth are barred and grinding across the rope which won't last much longer at this rate.

The water which had once been such a beautiful turquoise, is now the cold and bottomless black of a pit as it drips away and evaporates on the ground. "That should just be about it." Newt whispers.

Those magical words. Those god damn fantastic words!

He runs a hand over my forehead and I notice that he is frowning slightly. "I want to keep it covered up. So the bleeding stops." He says it off handedly but I know there's also another reason behind it... Something has happened. I know I'm not going to look like snow white right now... hang on. Who the hell is snow white?

I frown for a moment as my mind ponders that empty thought.

Even so, I see him stand now that his armour has faded away and my mouth drops open, while a blush of crimson escapes across my burnt face.

He's taking off what looked like to be a brown coloured vest. He's exposed his strong build and pale lean body. His six pack is subtly defined moving up his graceful chest and beautiful torso. He's ripping off large pieces of the material and pulling them around my torso. "Ain't it a good bloody thing I grabbed the bag before I came and saw you, eh?" He teased as I look over and see a large black rucksack. _When the hell did he have that? _My thoughts growl out once again before my gaze is turned back to a curious looking newt. He's crouched and that perfect body is close to me... I'm fighting with all my will not to blush. _Dear god he's hot. _I think in the back of my mind and pause as a slight smile moves to the edge of his mouth while he opens the bag and digs through it.

What is he finding so funny?

"Here it is!" He pulls out a white roll on a large metal cylinder. "Gotcha you little shuck." He grinned.  
_Damn he's even hot when he grins. _My thoughts whine out loudly and I watch him cover his face as that edge smile grows slightly.  
"Right, there's not enough to do all of you." He looks over at my face and tilts his head slightly. "Strange... I've never seen someone survive the kiss of a _Wicked _before... Not many people can hang in there that long to get to the water, let alone survive the pain.  
_I'm a survivor. _My thoughts taunt, they almost sound as though they are praising me.  
Newt however just nods as though some point had just crossed him.  
"But still... maybe avoid looking at water for a while, keep your eyes closed for a bit."  
"Am I that hideous?" I joke, feeling the draining and exhaustion of the water cleansing having drained me. The pain is sliding away now, more confidently with every second I feel it escape, leaving only the exhaustion in it's wake to kindle my bones.  
"No."

He reaches out for a second, brushing a hand through my hair. "Normally flame and hair... don't really go well together." He stares even deeper, making me feel self conscious. Was there something really wrong with my hair and face? What did I look like anyway? "But." He pauses and moved his hand over my cheek. I can feel the burns had closed themselves but the sores still remained and gave me an ache. They would probably stay for a couple of days before they faded. "You have a few scars... don't worry, they look just like skin, jut darker." He smiled gently now and looked over my face. "Your hair survived the blast... but you have had a little bit of a change." He grinned slightly. "Looks like it might need a bit of a cut." He joked and I rose an eyebrow.  
"Pot meet kettle." I chuckle weakly he slowly lets his hand slip to the ground. _Who am I kidding. He looks brilliant. That cute mess of hair. The way the blends of blond and brown move together-  
Your not sounding like yourself. _My own thoughts interrupted. _You're not some littleboy who has just seen the beauty and love of his life. Get over it. He's just a guy who helped you. Get over it and figure out what to do next. Just. Stop. With. The.  
_"Besides, who says you would get close enough to me to give me a hair cut." I bite my lip slightly and give a smirk as he raises an eyebrow.  
I could feel my internal thoughts face palming at myself.  
"Oh. I think I can take you kid." He grinned, leaning a bit closer.

My arm curls around his neck and I knock out his arm which was keeping him supported and upright. He went crashing to the ground beneath me and I collapsed myself, my arms shaking and my body completely weak. But I still had enough strength to grin and give a whisper. "Keep thinking that." I smirk and slowly push myself back trying to sit upright but finding that I could barely even halfway into a lent slouch.

Newt stared at me for a moment, before letting out a small laugh. "Blooming hell, you're just full of surprises aren't you.  
"Well, apparently so." I grinned and paused for a moment as he was lent over me. I shook my head and slowly pushed him back, though I tried to make it look like a playful gesture. Something in the back of my mind went into overdrive as it was pushing out scenarios and situations. Calculating how I could begin to push myself away from him quickly. _Now you're getting it._ _  
I can't be close to him. _My own thoughts whispered softly. _I need... I need to move away from him._

He paused and looked slowly into my eyes. It was as though he was listening to the soft wind which was becoming stronger around us. "The barriers are closing in." He stated as he edged towards the water.  
_In more ways than one. _I thought to myself and turned my head to see a soft cloud of mist beginning to move towards us.

Newt however was looking me over, seeing if I still had the strength to move.

Which I didn't.

He tried for a strong stance and began to talk quietly. Trying to create conversation, but I was already pulling away. "With a bit of training... You're going to be a great hunter around the camp... I bet a lot of them will try and corner you." He laughed as slowly he began to wrap the cord of bandages around my biceps and torso.

I tried to keep my gaze on the ground as he kept moving his hands gently over my broken skin and sliding across my torso. "Do you swim or run a lot? You've really got a swimmers build." He froze for a minute and sighed as I turned my gaze into a blown out glare. I didn't want to be mad at him but... it just brought up back this horrible place and my new situation. For a minute there, I had just been drawn back. We had just been two boys, sharing a small joke.

But now I was withdrawing. He was looking as though at first I had hurt him slightly before his face had become impassive. "Right, come on." He stood with a shaky limp and immediately my eyes locked onto it.

"Time to go for a dip."  
"Excuse me?" I barely managed before I yelped.

His arms curved around my bare back and he pulled me onto his back. "No secrets from each other now." He smirked and my face exploded out into a bright crimson blush.  
"You son of a bitch-" I was cut off as he dived into the water and began to swim both of us across the water and towards the far distant shore.


	5. Drifting away, wave after wave

_**Hi everyone. **Warning: story contains BoyxBoy, swearing, scenes of violence and bear in mind and ratings may be turned up maybe, very soon. I want to thank anyone who favourites or follows this story! =D****_

* * *

"Holy. Shit." I whispered as the waves kept splashing annoyingly against the side of my face, while Newt let out a soft but strong chuckle and he ploughed through the water towards the distant shore. I was absolutely hypnotised by the amazing sight which was laid before me. Lined golden shores, bathed in glistening, liquid sunlight! Beautiful large jungle hills full of towering trees which would give way to none of the hidden, far sights... except one.

A waterfall.

As we neared, I could hear it, even above the waves! I heard it's amazing and individual roar of accomplice. The stretch of long greens turquoise and golds across the view. Oh how beautiful and such a bewitching sight it was. So amazing and heart filling. It was the first sight of solid and secure world that I had finally been allowed to set my eyes on! No vicious ground that seemed to try and eat me. No swirling mess of a war zone, black and purple sky. No cascade of beasts trying to lunge out for my neck.

Just a soft blue sky over a sparkling island.

But none of it was a sight in anything to that which was beneath me.

Newt's arms ploughed out through the waves while I kept an embrace which he urged me to hold. His bare upper torso glinted brightly and I kept turning my gaze away and focusing, on the cold of the water around me. He kept flashing a pearly smile my way as I kept trying to picture anything more beautiful than that teasing grin that he would give me. _I do wonder though..._I thought back to earlier, the way he had been speaking about that other boy.

Newt made sure the entire time we were in the water to make sure that I couldn't catch sight of my reflection. I didn't exactly find that reassuring as he kept my fingers linked just teasingly beneath his chin... and those soft, dominant lips. _That golden blonde hair- Stop! You have bigger things to focus on right now! Yes he's hot! Get over it! He's probably not even into you. _

We slowly came to a stop for a minute and I watched how the shore wasn't that far away. Newt however was looking over his shoulder at me with suspicion as though he was tempting himself to say something. His eyes seemed focused slightly determined. "Why." He said so suddenly that I was jolted out of my own growing thoughts. "The _Wicked_ and _Betrayed _have never shown such murderous interest in someone as they have done with you." He slowly began his forward stroke once again and I felt myself blush as he shouldered me and pulled me tighter around himself. He gave out another chuckle and shook his head as we neared closer and closer to that warm looking, and shifting line of sands.

I found myself growing increasingly nervous. The faint cry and echo of a bird call filled the rustling trees... Like something was watching me. It sounded, vaguely familiar, like something from a memory of pain. But it was more than just that. It was as though something was locked on me. Staring at me, heart, soul and mind- "Oh don't worry about that." Newt burst out laughing as he looked at my, growingly alarmed face. The way he studied me. Sometimes it felt as though he was seeing something that I myself had yet to learn. _Like my own appearance for one! _But even that was gone now, according to him. My body had been scorched and changed, though the burns had gone and been washed away like venom in the water. I knew that I had been marked. But that wasn't what I meant when I thought about the way that Newt looked at me. He looked at me as though I was already something vaguely familiar to him.

I guess he must have seen by growing glare and softened his look some. "It's just our homes defences. Is all. Even the _Betrayed_ would never go up against one of the _Wicked, _and those bleeding fire birds from hell never come close to one another... you wouldn't believe how long it took to be able to capture the scream of one of them." He stared off slightly and grinned as he adjusted me once again.

I hated feeling so exposed in front of him. It was driving me mad!

Plus... something inside me felt rather embarrassed. A blush would keep creeping up into my face. I would feel so very insecure and very worried. Something my body told me that I not very accustomed to. But still...

Something begin to make me think back to some of the things that Newt had been on about earlier.

First... that boy. I don't know why that was the first of all the things to come into my head, but something in my stomach twisted at the way Newt had spoken about him. Something about the name... something about the way I imagined him in my mind. Some thoughts stirred around me. Something which I couldn't recognise, but some familiar sense of hatred began to surface rapidly and kindle itself among my tired and aching bones. _Thomas. _I kept thinking that over and over. Thinking as though there was about to be some magical collection of thoughts which would come and reveal the expanse gap of missing memories. Yeah right. As if that was ever going to happen. _Get back to reality._ I noticed the way Newt had become increasingly silent. Sure we were nearing the beach quite quickly, so very closely now. Barely but a few wave lengths away from washing up. But something about him seemed focused again. As though... he was listening intently to some kind of story.

I lost interest after my thoughts began to ache painfully in my head, but they were on a run and I was no where near stopping them. _Soldier, private. Those were the words he used. Sides. _My eyes raised up to the island in front of me and it clicked finally. _This is a war zone. _I back over my shoulder with a greater and more thankful gaze. "Heads up!" Newt shouted suddenly.

We both became a tumbling mess of knotted limbs as a rogue wave smashed over the two of us, sending us cascading through the current and foam of the water. My fingers in fear quickly curled around his. Fear filled my slightly, I hadn't felt fear when facing the _Wicked_, and only a insane anger when gazing down the _muzzle_ of a _Betrayed_. But something about the water... it felt like someone had tapped into my subconscious and a small spark had flared.

_I have a fear of water! _My thoughts screamed out.

I only felt comforted in the next second as Newt's arms locked around me in a secure lock. He pulled me tight to his chest and through the stinking flow of turquoise around me, I could see his face, locked determinedly onto me with complete focus. _I'm gonna drown! I don't want to choke! GET ME OUT! GET ME OUT! _My head felt at splitting point. I could see him trying to pour every ounce of what he was thinking, into his gaze... and for a minute, it actually felt as though I could hear him inside of my head. _"Look at me. I'm here with you. I haven't left you so far." _I couldn't understand what the hell was going on. Was it from the lack of oxygen and disorientation? _"I bloody promised you didn't I? You fall, I fall with you."_ I didn't know what to think, so I just had to wait it out while he pulled my head down onto his chest.

But for some reason. It just helped. Him holding me as tight as he could until we hit the hard layer of sand and let out panting and exhausted held breath. Both of us, staring down the other's gaze. My cheeks were lit almost a glowing red I noses were the smallest and briefest of barely a Centimetre apart. _Those eyes. _I thought in my head softly. _Those. B-Beautiful eyes. _

We both started leaning ever so slightly closer together and I ducked my head against his chest. Taking in deep breaths of him as I felt him lay us back more carefully. The waves becoming a soft and lulling drug almost on us. His breath rustled through my hair gently, while his fingers streaked it back and twirled my unknown locks. By the feel of it and the way it felt as though it was reaching down the back of my neck, he was right, it could do with a cut... then again, I would preferably like to know what it looks like in the first place.

I closed my eyes slowly as I felt his fingers gently massage down from my forehead and across my eyelids, drawing back the droplets of water. My head poured with something which was beyond my explanation of warmth. It wasn't agony like the _Wicked's _kiss had been... no, but something more, comforting. Like the sound and feel of the water... _Just like he is. _I could feel myself passing out once again as exhaustion ebbed through me too much. "N-Newt." I barely even managed the name, but his finger just moved down over my lips as he sat me up and scooped me into his arms while he stood. My head was still lolled into his chest. His hand and arm curled around my back were becoming more comforting as the minutes passed by. His heart was beating calmly and steadily. It was the most beautiful and rhythmic sound that I had ever heard in my entire life. "Just rest for a bit, work starts when you wake up." He chuckled.

_**-Break-**_

It was so strange to him that he felt no pain as the words sat heavy in his mouth. The cold in his chest clawing and crawling from the crimson expanse of his showing heart. His slightly rouge lips, no longer tense or beaten into a hard line of fear. His limp hands, open and catching the final moments of the breeze. "Better dead and forgotten than just a shadow." His diamond tongue whispered.

He became still, porcelain skin drying out with colour as from the open expanse, the shinning crimson of his heart faded to a dull, wilting brown. Slowly large cracks forming on his lean body. The bare black shirt which had once kept him warm now betrayed him as it was ripped from his torso and vanished on the adventure of the wind.

He didn't care... All he could do was raised and twist his hand as he watched his finger tips becoming broken and crumbling into nothing less than lifeless waste. Slowly deep veins ebbing away as the crumbled remains became nothing more than a stump of his wrist.

A missing elbow.

A vanished arm.

And so on it carried till the boy began to slow fall back. His eyes watching the cloud great sky with sadness as even the warm sunlight flailed away from him.

Even as the last of the breaking body reached his face so that only his eye was left, he still knew and stood by the actions.

But then there was nothing.

Nothing more than a pile of autumn leafs blowing away on a forgotten summers breeze.

What did all this mean? What was this strange vision? The passing of something. I knew not what.

All I knew.

Was that I needed to get out of here.

This forest was turning darker every second. The dream was breaking. The light was failing.

"I don't understand!" I exclaimed out angrily. "What does this mean! What does all this have to do with me!" The burning and agony around me was beginning to flare up. Like an inferno inside of me which demanded full attention. My fingers began to twitch wildly and with great anger as I could no longer contain myself. The bones feeling like they were about to burst out of the skin.

My right leg, began dense and heavy. Agony returning to me as the skin fractures and filled with large purple lumps. The hideous and scarred skin was untouchable to the threat of wild and untamed pain. "This is what I get?!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I had no idea where the words were coming from, or why. I just knew that they were the dark truth which was inside of my heart,there was nothing else left.

Except pain and deception.

Something felt wrong. Changed. Gone.

I felt empty.

A corpse.

I was kind of happy at least when the dream faded and I was left to closed eyes and a barrage of quiet whispers when I seemed to be coming back to conciousness once again.

My eyelids stung as I could feel the sunlight roaming across them. The heat in the air was amazing and sapping. The cold that resided in my bones was flowing away rapidly... But it wasn't like the way that Newt touched me. There was no comfort. Just a factual change in temperature.

The nearby sounds of birds singing and calling out were mingled with the sound of people bustling together inside a tight space. The air rustled around me and I took heavier notes of where I was. Something swung me gently and kept a calming sway. But whenever the air did rustle, there was a notable tune played outside... almost like the sound of air rushing through the trees.

Where the hell was I now?

"There's no way... I just don't get it!" My head lolled and for the first time, I took note of a cool and caressing hand working over my forehead. Splashing soft dabs of water over me, coaxing sips of the cool liquid into me... the hands were so very familiar and comforting. They felt so right where they were that I made a wish inside my head that I wanted to flutter my eyelids open, only to find that I was still bringing my way out of my own sleep.  
"Can't see what's right in front of your eyes?" A voice hissed.  
"He's finding it difficult to take his eyes away." Another chuckled.  
"I can't believe the kid survived a kiss from a Wicked... so this is what they look like afterwards huh? I mean, we've all been branded by one of those flaming bastards, but I've never known someone who has had the full kiss and survived from one of them!"  
"WILL YOU SHUT UP! YOU'RE GONNA WAKE HIM!"

That last one... that one I recognised. That was Newt.

The voice before Newt came back again. It was light and unrestrained. Blunt, but deceptively working the way it produced the words, as though before each and every single word had to be assessed in the most minuscule of a second before being allowed to escape into the air.

"Oh look, Newt is getting protective over his new mate." The boy scoffed and let out a loud and unrestrained laughter. Some of the others joined in with him.  
"You know he isn't my mate. He may be sixteen but that doesn't change the fact, no one is mated until they accept in front of the whole tribe! Besides, they're not even valid to be asked as mate until they've either made their first hunt on the island or killed a Wicked or Betrayed, but since you bunch of shank head morons can't actually believe that he did kill one of them, even though his body face and his unconscious state don't seem to be good enough evidence for you. I guess he will have no problem proving it to you Klunk faced idiots!" Newt's voice was calm but the tone behind it was clear as where he stood on the subject, and just what he thought about the others who dared to question his word.

It was then that my eyes forced themselves half open to the blare of sunlight from a small and compact filled room.

For a moment I packed and lunged up, thinking that I was back inside the box or something.

How was I too know that the owner of the other voice was lent over me... well I wasn't to know till I headed butted him.

"SON OF A BITCH!" He screamed as he turned and quickly fled out of the room, not even giving me a second to recognise his details but only to be pushed back down as I clamped my hands over my forehead and listened to the chorus of laughter from some of the others around me.  
"Oh I'm going to enjoy having this new private around." The second voice laughed.

Above me was a tall and circle roof of bamboo, like the walls. Two square portals were cut out the front section... comically what I guessed were supposed to resembled windows, as did the two on each side and behind me. It kept a constant flow of air moving around me and I guess I was thankful for that.

"You okay?" I blinked a couple of times and rolled over my head into the soft and caressing touch of Newt's hand. His eyes looked down at me nervously for a second before they regained their solid leader composure. "Al'right, the rest of you clear out of here. Now, he doesn't need you hanging over him. Clear off."

It was still hard to make a lot out. The edge of my vision was tinged with sunlight. I could only just make out his face as the others who were just blurs, cleared out, muttering something about him already having claims on me as a mate. He had forming dark circles around his eyes, his skin was slightly paler than what I had seen of him so far. He wore no top but only some shorts, and I barely could blame him. The heat was too uncomfortable to have that many layers on, and right now I was buried under three layers of blankets. "You look like shit." I smirked giving him a teasing and playful smile to back up the gesture.

It was nice to see how a beautiful smile was produced across those brilliantly handsome features.

Neither of us dared to mention or read into how we laced our fingers quietly. We both only just enjoyed the comfort that came from it. "Says the boy who was out of it for nearly four days."  
"What?" My eyes widened but Newt just gripped my hand a little tighter as he lounged back further against the wall.  
"Don't worry. It's not that odd..." I knew he was lying... I guess we both did, but I didn't push him further on it. He was just trying to be comforting to me, and I felt in no mood to piss arse around trying to argue.  
"But why are you in here?" I wondered, hoping that I didn't sound as rude as I thought it did.  
"They needed someone to watch you, you had a mild concussion but, either way. I stayed for the last couple of days. Fed you, helped you drink... washed you." He said the last part quietly and my face once again exploded into that burst of warmth. "But I'm glad that you're awake." He smiled that bewitching smile and I just closed my eyes slightly once again, blinking as hard as I could, but only to find myself still swarming with vision and finding my body ache. "Just be glad you haven't got a lot to do today. No one is going to send you hunting till you have a weapon and are willing to go, and you won't have to be a Queen until you feel better." He said it as though it was every day context to him.

But words like being a Queen? What the hell did that mean?

"So that means, today, you're stuck with me." He said and I had to resist the urge to smile brightly. "I'll give you the guide around camp. What we do, the jobs that we each get sorted into, and then I'll explain our rules and other such boring stuff." He slowly pulled himself to his feet. "But right now, I think it's time you get dressed, and we get some real food inside of you." He laughed as he heard my stomach growling.

I couldn't help but swoon slightly and found myself quite lucky that he caught me. "Take it easy private." He smiled. "Come on, slow steps and deep breaths." He encouraged as I took steps on my shaky legs which burned with the begging plead for me to give up and go back to rest.  
"Don't let go of me." I muttered.  
"Not likely to happen."

And with that, I stepped out the small box room and sleek hammock I had been laid on.

And stepped into my new life.


	6. Private no more

_**Hi everyone. **Warning: story contains BoyxBoy, swearing, scenes of violence and bear in mind and ratings may be turned up maybe, very soon. I want to thank anyone who favourites or follows this story! =D****_

* * *

"O-kay." I paused taking in the sight around me. "And here I thought you just really couldn't surprise me any more than you already had." I murmured. So I had been astounded by the living fire... the fucking mechanical werewolves,(That's at least was the way that I had come to look at the betrayed). I had been confused in general by why I was in this hell, without any such memory of anything to keep me going.

But what I was experiencing now... I had no words to describe what kind of strange scene I had stepped into.

From the great height of the tallest trees, I studied the line of bridges which were all bound together tightly over the linings which led between each of the overly large trunks. It was like something out of a strange dream. "Are you sure I'm not still asleep?" I asked quietly as I looked at the varies tree houses which were dotted either outside and around the large trunks, or actually inside and part of the sky scraper structure. Each one of them was simple but yet had a personal. Markings or changing the small structure that they were in huts, rolling roofs to stare up at what I guessed was the night sky when others were feeling sleepy and tired.

Newt pulled his arm closer around me and gave that sun shine and star lit smile, glistened through me. His eyes watching me with an amused gaze as I just took in every more ounce of the vast camp around me. The way I could see people running through the forest floor beneath me and around the massive clearing. It was full with loud chatter but still, just around us I could sense nothing more than the great cool air mingling across my face while creating the melody in the leaf canvas. The faint whistling kept whipping around carefully, undecided on it's flowing tune, whether that carry the sound of distant running water, or to hold the melody of the hills.

I just didn't understand, how through what I had seen so far, the battles and the war zone of those hell beasts. How could they create such an amazing work like this?

"This is just... It's just." I shook my head and felt the way Newt was not trying to laugh at my stunned reaction to everything around me. "You made all this."  
"It took time." Newt smiled, leaning on the sturdy railing next to me and examining the long stretch of homes among the trees. The way a small creek snaked through the various damn and banks of stone which had been created. The water veered trough the soft meadow like grass floor and veered both directly into the roots of the surrounding trees and into some distant rooms.

Newt's eyes took a familiar and almost sad like gaze as his look became distant. It was like he was trying to remember the better of times which were not there for him. "What had that all been about." I finally got the confidence to ask up something I had been thinking about, since I had woke. We had been talking for a short while now. All the time I had been lost in the amazing and majestic forest sight around us, he had been explaining that a lot of the time, the people around the camp slept up in the trees when a storm was coming or was going to hit, but quite a few preferred to sleep in the neighbouring caves and tunnels where they had more room than the tree huts would allow them.

Not once had he brought up anything about what the others had said or the way that they reacted to me.

I nodded my head weakly back to the hut after taking another brief moment to caress my own brow. The burning ache and swarming of everything was still slightly painful to deal with. _I bet I look fucking pathetic to him. _I thought dejectedly and fixed my eyes dead in front of me to avoid his gaze.

How the hell was I supposed to know that he was smiling softly at me, with caring eyes?

His hand moved gently up my bare back and rubbed circles comfortingly in my shoulder as I dared not look back at him. His touch sent every nerve throughout my body alight... it was just that touch! Why him? "They're just a bit surprised is all. You've already broken quite some records on the last couple of days." He smiled up towards the sun which ran over my face and embraced both of us.

He lent back against the railing and pointed loosely with a finger to the mesh of hair which now had reached my shoulders. "First of all. You survive a full kiss from the _Wicked._" He said, examining my face. His eyes moving the still alien image of myself. "Then you kill the damn thing, when normally any other new camper is klunking themselves at the very sight of one of them!" He laughed for a moment, shaking his head in disbelief. His eyes shined so brightly and beautifully.  
_Well I had something to protect. _I thought, glancing out the corner of my eye at him for a brief moment, watching the kind and calm smile which was aimed my way, but I quickly once again swooned, feeling his arms tightening around me as a small bit of vomit escaped my stomach and went onto the mess of forest meadow, far beneath us. "Hey, there you go." He whispered comfortingly.  
"I-I'm so sorry." I whispered, feeling there to be a need to automatically apologise, but Newt just rose an eyebrow at me sceptically.  
"For vomiting?" He asked, perplexed by my need to express and apology. "It ain't you fault private."  
"Yeah..." I frowned for a minute, wondering why the sudden urge to use manners had overcome my control to speak. I lent back against him as he supported my weight easily. "That's another thing. Why do you keep calling me private!"  
"That's what we tend to call the new joiner to the camp." He shrugged as he placed a hand thoughtfully on my forehead. "Looks like you could do with a drink." He noted to himself.  
"Not as though I even have a name to offer." I muttered and stared dejectedly towards his chest, feeling that very strange sense of comfort fill me. I could feel every nerve inside of me, twitching to break away, surprised and scared by me sensing this comfort. I start coughing feeling the bile and vomit make a return trip while I slump against him and vomit onto the floor, panting for breath as he calmly keeps a hand patting my back.  
"Don't make me give you the kiss of bleeding life, cause I will." He teases me with one of the first few things he had said to me and I smirk weakly at him.  
"You should be so lucky."

After about ten minutes, and when I had finally recomposed myself, I took a steady yet slow stance. My fingers gripped around the railing tighter. "Right. Let's get you equipped and ready, then I can show you more around the camp-"  
"Whoa there blondie." I grinned and watched him raise a eyebrow at my weak attempt to exert some strength and defiance once again. "Two things." I pointed out across the expanse of trees, not sure where to start. I was stumbling over myself with my words. Something I knew that from within myself, I didn't do that often... but then again, I seem to be not meeting a lot of my self expectations here... So who gives a fuck. "You didn't finish answering all my questions. What the hell did they mean by Mate? Why else are they so freaked out by me? What other 'records' have I just gone and bloody broken here?" I watched him just let out a teeth shinning laugh as he look me over again. "And Two? This is all fancy and everything, don't get me wrong. But I'm seeing a hell of a lot of bridges and just no stairs. I mean how the hell are we supposed to get down-"

I froze as I watched him take a few steps back knowingly and take a lean on the thick trunk. His smile beginning to spread further across his face as he fixed me with those deep brown eyes. His hand resting lightly on his hip as he took hold from one of the rope connectors which was wrapped around the bridge railings. "Oh you have got to be kidding me." I whispered horrified by the very idea. "What? This? No. This isn't the way to get down. Don't be ridiculous." He rolled his eyes, suppressing his smile.

I exhaled gently and slowly began to walk over to him till I was at his side. "Thank god... for a minute there I thought-"  
"This is." He gripped a stronger rope and wrapped an arm tightly around my waist..  
"NEWT! YOU BLOODY SHUCK FACED GIT!" I screamed.

We both went over the side, and I dug my head into his chest screaming his name as we began to slow down from our fast descent. "Oh come on, look, it isn't so bad." He laughed as we hit something that felt like a leaf canvas.  
"No." I blatantly refused as I kept my eyes locked shut and head pushed up against his chest. My legs wrapped tightly around his, entwining them, like we had been when we had got locked together in the water.  
"Oh come on, it's your first time! Don't miss it, because you're too scared. But then again... if you don't think you can handle it."

My eyes burst open at that challenge.

But all pretence of defiance was lost as I had to catch my breath.

We were both descending through a darkness that was broken by a thousand colours of glowing flowers. Around us was nothing but pitch black darkness. Colours exploding as faint night lights. The flowers shone like multicolour crystals. No two were the same shade of colour but only trying to bring some kind of new life to the blackness around them. "T-This is impossible." I whispered and stared up at his face which kept that ever so beautiful soft smile. "I saw the floor of the forest! That just can't be right- It can't." I shook my head, finding no words to describe it. This was absolutely impossible!  
"You saw the canvas." Newt smiled gently. "It's how we can tell where the dark zone starts and stops. But eventually it won't matter anyway. It's pretty close to nightfall, so we will be heading back up soon... unless you want to stick on the ground."

I paused and gave a sly smirk as I looked up at his slightly blushing face. "That was your hut wasn't it?" I teased.  
"No." He rose an eyebrow and I felt myself think just how much of a fucking idiot I was. "Why?"  
"No reason." I coughed quickly trying to awkwardly change subject. "But I don't understand is just how... that canvas, it looked so real."  
"It's just something we've found on our travels." Newt seemed to be wanting to avoid something.

What did he want to avoid talking about-

"In the war zone." He coughed quietly.  
"Oh." Was all that I could manage to say.  
"Hold on tight Private." He grinned as we finally ploughed down through the second and what I guessed, (hoped would be the better word) was the last canvas.

We came to a rest on a small square pad and I rose an eyebrow expectantly, waiting for some answer. "Two sheets, they seem to reflect the light. Keep hidden what we want keep hidden and show what we want there to be seen. After all, we aren't the only things out here on this island." He kept his arm wrapped around my waist and as we looked around I saw that the lower camp was almost just a complete copy space of the huts and that above. Each home was separated within a equal space distance.

The floor was a soft meadow which felt nice beneath my bare feet... hang on... I still didn't-

I flinched slightly before I felt Newt pulled a long length shirt around me, which seemed to cover me up as best as it could till I got some real clothes. "Don't want the others getting sights of that which they shouldn't." He shrugged and kept his arm around me as I stumbled across the soft course which he had set for us to head down.

Every now and then I would catch two other boys either sticking close together, whispering quietly, sharpening what looked like daggers and various small weapons, talking about how the harvest would be in soon, how the hunt had been on that day, or even just about small chit chat, then when ever they would glance up at me and Newt passing by, they would sicker about him having found his '_mate'. _Hadn't that been what I had heard them talking about earlier?

"Uh Newt? What the hell does it mean to have a mate? And am I yours?"  
"W-What?" He spluttered slightly, his face exploding into red.  
"I guess it means just more than to have a good friend?" I clarified as I watched embarrassment creep through him and the way his face heated up more rapidly. I couldn't help but think to myself that out of us two, it was nice that he was the one blushing brightly for once and not me.  
"Well... Shuck me, that's a bit, um... well, you see, we have a lot of guys around here, and a mate... well a mate is just a reference for some of the older ones." He seemed to be phrasing just exactly how he wanted to this to sound. "Okay, so a lot of guys around here get stressed... and let's be honest, some of them can be right horny bastards sometimes. But there can also be a couple of the guys here who do fall for each other." He shrugged. His face had seem to set on a deep cherry red as he avoided all eye contact with me right now. _Whoa hang on... does he mean what I think he means? _I glared over my shoulder suddenly towards the boys who were chuckling and they fell quiet quickly. "Mate is the term used for those of us who take... a partner. Whether because you love the shucker or because you want to let off steam with them, I don't know. But to be mated means that no one else can touch you. You're bound to each other." He shrugged.  
"Yeah... excuse me for just a second." I was about to turn and beat the shit out of those two boys when they began laughing again but Newt just shook his head.  
"Don't waste your energy on them. It's just because you're new in camp is all. They're testing how far they can push you." He paused speaking though when I let the shirt ride down my back a bit and show where I had been first kissed by the _Wicked. _

Both boys fell quiet quite quickly and I could feel their new horrified looks lock onto my branded skin.

Newt grinned noticing how casually I had made the gesture look before I pulled it back up to my shoulders. "Okay, mating... so how can you tell if someone is mated?"  
"Well..." He coughed and kept his gaze in front of us both. "They will be wearing something like a necklace, a charm..." He coughed again. "A collar." He said quietly and my jaw dropped open.  
"Oh you are kidding me." I growled. "And they think we're mated?" I winced immediately as the words left my mouth. _Although I could quite happily imagine that. _I thought quietly and rubbed my head again.

His face exploded even more brightly but a smile painted the edge of his mouth.

"And you don't have a mate?" I wondered out loud, noticing no symbols, collar or markings over him.  
"Never found the right person." He stated as we were finally coming up to a large hut. "And I don't see the sense in blowing off steam with just anyone."  
_I would if it was him. _My thoughts purred.

"Time we get you geared up then. After all. I'm pretty sure you have no interest in being a patcher, builder or even a queen." He laughed.

Okay... Patcher. That sounded pretty straight forward in explanation as did builder. I could see those around me who were either putting up new huts, or sat around with a needle and thread, sewing clothes which had holes in them. I had a feeling that I could do either of those jobs, though right now in this current condition, I was probably not in the best shape for it.

But a Queen-

"It means you watch the youngest ones around. It's rare we get a very young kid come here... but it does happen." He shrugged. "And they sometimes need a little bit of guidance. It's normally a job we give to some of the younger ones as we try and get everyone to work together. It helps if they have someone close to their own age range."  
"So what about me. Are you being forced to guide me?" I frowned.  
"Your the special exception." He whispered in the doorway of the hut before holding the door open for me and smiling deeper.

_**-Break-**_

I looked down at the tight hide shorts which latched to my skinny thighs. They were nothing special. Just something easy to pull up over myself and with ring holes for a belt. I had tried to give back the shirt that Newt had offered me, seeing as how it was his, but he just shook his head and said it would do me better.

And looking at his sexy and lean torso... I was in no place to deny his request.

"I still stand by my words." He said, lent up against a pillar. His eyes hooked onto me as I adjusted my clothing and found it much more comfortable as I wore it like a tank top, the same style as Newt wore. "I think with a bit of training, you're going to be a great help out around here. Not many of us have actually managed to turn around and kill a _Wicked _or_ Betrayed_, let alone unarmed and in our first few moments here." He smiled at me.

I hated hearing that name now. The name of that fucking fire parasite which had caused me so much agony. Which had branded me and completely agonised me for-

Something finally clicked for me.

"Newt. Have you got... a mirror?" I whispered.  
"Are you sure... I mean-"  
"Please."

He didn't respond after hearing my weak and pleading voice. I could feel him, weighing his decision quietly on whether or not to actually show me. I knew he was against it, but I needed to see now. I had to know! I needed to know something about myself. I had to know...

"Al'right... but I ain't happy about this." He murmured as quickly he moved me over to sheet of glass with large fractures in it.

It looked like the oddest jigsaw I had ever seen in my life. It was obviously just and entirety of broken pieces they had must of recovered from whenever they went out into the battle field.

But the image that stood behind the cracks made me become lost in sadness and pain.

The boy that stood in the image before me as just about half a head shorter than Newt. His hair was a mess which fell onto his shoulders in a straight mess of crimson and white. His skin was peachy and slightly pale, yet warm tanned lines moved across him in long and preciously placed stripes. Around his eyes, they formed two perfect, yet outwardly fading circles, with three stripes over his cheeks like whiskers. They moved in strange but yet smoothly lined patterns across his arms and biceps, yet they made no relative sense...

But then again, did a brand make sense to the cattle that it had been placed on?

"Oh." I whimpered as I looked at the skinny and slightly malnourished figure of the boy. He stood unevenly, obviously not feeling well. He looked completely exhausted, but just stared back with a horrified expression. How old was he? Early sixteen to mid sixteen at the most. Same age as Newt I guessed. Then I noticed his hands.

The brands ended along his finger tips like the edges of a beast's claws.

But then came the last thing...

I slowly began to lower the back of my shirt and I felt Newt's hand clamp down on my shoulder. "I think that's enough for now." He whispered, gently reaching up and brushing away the tears that I didn't even know were there. He kept my gaze still and seemed to just radiate that wave of warmth around me. "Do I look that different." I whispered and I watched how long he paused. "Newt. Please. As my friend, answer me honestly. If you really are my friend, do that for me."

Those words for a reason seemed to really hit home for him.

His gaze became hardened and he gave a simple nod before turning his gaze down to our feet.

A harsh breath and sob burst quietly from me.

I had nothing left of myself. No true name. No true memories, no personality to remember, not even my own reflection was my own any more!

"Once a month then, you go out there, and kill these things." I growled quietly. "You said that as well as going out there to bring back the supplies, a new person-"  
"Which doesn't always happen." He said quietly before slowly looking into my loathing eyes, watching the hatred boiling inside of me violently. "Hang on... What are you thinking? Don't go down that path." He warned quietly.  
"You said you could give me a bit of training." I pleaded. "Because ready or not, next time you guys leave to go out there. I'm coming with you." I stated stubbornly. "And I'm going to kill some of those fucking nightmares."  
"Don't say anything you will regret later! I'll just pretend that I didn't hear that. Right now, you're tired, you're angry! And besides! To become a full soldier to go out into the field, you have to go through full training! Weeks of preparation tactics, you have to be in a stable mental state. You can't make such a massive decision like that right now! It's not yours to make."  
"But Newt-"  
"I understand." He whispered reassuringly. Clamping his hands down on my shoulders. His eyes moving through me in such a rate I dared not even glance away. "But just don't make any klunk headed ideas yet." He pulled me close and as we have both seem to found, taken up the one position which we both felt absolutely comforted in. Him holding me close to his chest, and me, closing my eyes and listening to his steady and beautifully, rhythmic heartbeat.  
"Is that hair cut offer still available?" I meekly asked.  
"Sure." He smiled as he pulled out a sharp knife and sat me down on a nearby stool. "Oh and when we're finished, we can get you geared up." He suggested. "As long as you don't go chasing any mad crusades Private-"  
"Fox."  
"What?"  
"Call me Fox." I stated as I took my seat and closed my eyes. "If I don't have a name... I may as well come up with my own. And seeing as how, that bastard Wicked has so fashioned me." I indicated to my weird mixture of deep crimson and white snow hair. "I may as well go with what I know, right?"  
"Fox." He said as though tasting the name in his mouth. "Sounds like a bloody good name if you asked me." I could hear the smile in his voice.  
"Cheers Newt." I whispered as I heard the first slice and he began to cut away at the shaggy and over long strands of hair.


	7. Meeting the boss

_**Hi everyone. **Warning: story contains BoyxBoy, swearing, scenes of violence and bear in mind and ratings may be turned up maybe, very soon. I want to thank anyone who favourites or follows this story! Hope you are all enjoying it ^_^ I have a bit of a surprise coming in soon for you =3****_

* * *

I rose my eyebrow as others started taking in my new appearance.

Newt had done a good job with my hair and we had even had a good laugh about it afterwards saying that his talents as a soldier seemed to be wasted in comparison to his other capabilities.

My crimson hair was almost a mirror style of Newt's now. A cut back and decent length at the sides and back which now was bearable in the intense heat, yet was still able to catch the caress of a breeze as it hounded past us. The strange locks of white, rose and fell delicately as they mingled among the new crimson. It was enough that someone may be able to get a slight hand fun on it, or run their fingers through it.

I glanced over slowly at Newt

Or that if the temperature dropped, and it became cold in the cloudless evening, that I would have something... plus. It looked good.

I had finally seen just what I had wanted to, I had seen how that bastard monster had branded me... left me with little nothing I truly had left. All I had was the true reflection of myself... even that was gone. Lost to myself and my comfort. Only with Newt to know what I truly looked like.

A secret I'm glad stayed with him.

"So at least we got you kitted out with gear huh?" He smiled and I found myself almost roll my eyes internally at myself for as usual diving deep into the sight of that pearly and handsome beauty. "I'm just not sure whether putting a weapon in those hands is the greatest idea yet, or whether in fact we even have time." He murmured to himself and I rose a defiant eyebrow at him in question. His gaze was hefted towards the sky curiously as he seemed to be studying the reflection of the chameleon shroud, (as I liked to call it), and seemed to be watching how clouds were flocking across quickly.  
"Don't worry blondie. I'm not going to kill you in your sleep or anything."

He turned his head back down to me and matched my look. "Blondie?" He stated as though I had suddenly dropped from the sky. A slow grin began to play at the edge of his mouth as I half closed my eyes and nodded.  
"Uh huh. That's right blondie." I teased, biting my lip slightly and walking backwards so I had the perfect view of him.  
"I dare you to say that again." He smirked, closing the gap between us.

I couldn't help but feel a rush go through me as I still was a little light headed on my feet. Newt nose and mine were nearly brushing as I matched the long Cheshire cat smirk. "Okay. B-L-O-N-D-I-E."  
"Oh you're so dead." He grinned and leaned in trying to grab me.  
"Oh no! Not happening!"

I turned with laughed and jumped back on the toes of my feet. The soft grass and soil beneath my feet went cascading in a small tide toward some nearby trees as my legs slid into a hunters crouch. I grinned even further and gave a small wink. "Like you're going to get away that easy!" Newt laughed as he began to sprint after me, while I moved inside and out of the tents. It somehow felt strangely releasing. Kind of like I had built everything up over the last couple of hours was suddenly exploding out of me as I hit my playful speed.

I could feel the eyes of others drawn to us as I sped past, latching my hand around nearby tree trunks and jumping myself off of them to avoid Newt's quick and strong arms. Damn he was fast when he wanted to be! Then again, he had training and experience on his side and I had...

Wow... I really had fuck all to go by did I?

"And we're really supposed to think that they won't be mates." A nearby boy scoffed as a boy in a collar was lay on his stomach next to him.  
"We all know how this will end." Nodded the collared boy as he let out a long sigh, bathing in the full brunt of the sunlight. He dragged a long pointed knife with a jagged handle across the dirt with great boredom. Both seemed so at ease and comfortable that I moved away slightly to avoid disturbing them, after all, they didn't seem to be that bad-  
"Nice piece of ass though." Nodded the boys.

Both idly watched us until I ran through a puddle splashing them both in the face before speeding of as quickly as I could. I gave them a tongue stuck out look and listened to them ranting on and cussing me out. But I didn't give a shit. I was enjoying myself far too much to give a fuck about them idiots.

"You should have seen the look on Newt's face, honestly, he will have the boy in a collar by the end of the-"  
"LOOK OUT!"

I went crashing head first onto the ground and quickly scrambled myself up and kept running. "You son of a bitch! I'll get you back for this! AGAIN!"  
"Shut up Gally!" Newt barked as he came close behind me.

Hang on... hadn't that been the kid I had head butted when I had woke up-

"Got you!" Newt exclaimed as we both went tumbling on the ground and crashing through a series of bushes till we came to a rest in a smaller part of the clearing. The trees parting in a roof above us to show the darkening sky. The sun still fell down over the both of us but I was too busy at that moment, caught up with the fact there was a handsome boy on top of me to think about anything else.

Newt hair dangled over my face while my head was pushed back into the emerald surrounding pillow of the meadow. "N-No fair." I panted as a rose blush tainted my cheeks. I could feel his heart beat through his shirt as his breathing matched mine.  
"You're going to make one hell of a hunter."

I growled inwardly as I turned to see two boys walking towards us.

One had been that boy Gally, but he hadn't been the one who had spoken. The boy has a clip over his nose which still had smudged of red and purple bruisings around his nose. His eyes were narrowed hatefully at me with a deep and outspoken loathing. There was absolutely no other way to describe him than what you saw directly in front of you. A fifteen year old who was tall and skinny with black hair, green eyes, and a nose that was the size of a small fist that resembled a deformed potato. His voice was scratchy as he murmured underneath his breath quietly about me being more hassle than I was worth. He was dressed in some shorts and a short which stopped just beneath his waist. A belt wound around the material, with various looking tools... So I guess he was a builder then.

The other boy however seemed almost resemble Newt in one aspect, (speaking of who, still hadn't moved from being above me).

That he radiated complete leadership.

Other than that though, they were completely different. He was a dark-skinned boy with his hair short-cropped and face clean shaven, body thick with strong muscles. About a head taller than Newt and with a stronger and more fixated look. His voice was like the sound of cascading gravel. Deep but something about it was steadier and harder than rock.

He looked me over approvingly before finally noticing the situation that me and Newt were in. "Uh... were we interrupting anything?"  
"Well of course! Look at them both! Sweaty! All over each other! Chasing after each other! It's obvious isn't it-"  
"Yes. It's quite obvious." I nodded, feeling Newt tense above me, hoping he would give a full and reasonable explanation about what this was really all about.

I looked over to the tallest boy who had even paused, like Gally, who frowned not knowing what Newt was doing. "You see _sir. _I think that Gally wants him to be his mate."  
"What." The boy looked over at Gally with narrowed eyes.  
"What?!" Gally shrieked.  
"WHAT!" I snarled under my breath at Newt who snickered under his breath,  
"Well." he shrugged and held back a smile as I posed a perfect face curiously. "It's only an estimated assumption from the evidence that he has presented in front of me."

I stared deeply into Newt's eyes, trying to figure out what the hell he was trying to do. _Just go with it. _He seemed to say... for a minute, I swore I could hear his voice in my head. _Just go along with it for now, please. _I could see a mischievous grin, growing behind his collected face.  
_You're lucky you're cute. _I thought to myself and watched another gleam, go through his beautiful eyes.

I slowly turned my head over and half lidded my eyes at Gally who's face grew red in indignation, but was the perfect colour to replicate a blush. "The first time Fox woke up in this place, Gally was sat over him, staring at him in his sleep, talking to the others about him." Newt kept his voice casual, noting out the corner of his eyes, how Gally's face was getting a brighter red with every second.  
"Gally, is this true?" I asked softly, putting a hand gently. I turned my head slowly and carefully as I estimated, just where the window would brush past my hair, making it bristle and show the contrast in warm and cold colour. Then figuring out, just where the sunlight would hit my eyes and make them sparkle. "Do you really want me as your mate?"  
"You can't believe this!" Gally shouted loudly and turned furiously before storming out the clearing.

It was only when he was gone, that Newt and I burst out laughing, rolling over on the grass. "Oh damn it Newt, you really set him off!" I rolled and rested my head on his chest as I was lost in a fit of giggles. This felt so weird! My whole body just seemed to be rejecting the idea that I could enjoy myself like this. Why was I having such a hard time adjusting to the reality of this around me?

Why couldn't I accept the fact... that this was my new home now.

I might as well start enjoying that fact.

The taller boy shook his head slowly and smiled down at Newt. "You shouldn't get under Gally's skin like that. Anyway Private-"  
"Fox." I stated with a small growl. He was a bit taken a back that I had snapped at him and I quickly moved back slightly, shielding myself against Newt, like a cowering cub, preparing myself encase he may attack me.  
"Anyway, _Fox..._" He corrected himself. "Get yourself up and ready, I want you geared up and ready."  
"Aw come on Alby! The poor cub-"  
"Cub?" I blushed brightly.  
"Has just woken up and is still half shucked! Look at him!"  
"He seemed fine enough to sprint through the camp, with you chasing him like two little love birds." Alby shrugged. "I want him geared up with a weapon." He slowly turned back to me. "Kid, you better get yourself ready cause we're going hunting."

_**-Break-**_

"Hunting... seriously?" I stood in front of the mirror as Newt busied himself among the shelves angrily. Muttering under his breath about how this was the... and I quote _'shuckiest shuck, shuck faced, klunk shuck pile of klunk that he had ever shucking heard...' _So yeah, I kind of got the feeling that he wasn't most exactly on board with the idea of me going hunting. "He's not even giving you training! Just throwing you into the deep end! Plus we got a bleeding storm on the way! Anything could happen! You could get washed away! You could get separated from the main group or-"  
"Hey, calm down." I turned slowly and gently grabbed onto one of his hands. Looking deeply into his eyes. "Where's all this coming from?" I whispered softly and watched him just frown deeply.  
"I don't want... I don't want you to get hurt is all, you bloody idiot."  
"Listen blondie, I think I've proven that I'm quite tough right?" I smiled as he brushed his thumb over part of the brand which resembled claws. He kept the soft touch, moving over my knuckles and I had to admit, it was quite calming.

I hadn't noticed how calming the gesture really was until I felt myself exhale an unknown captured breath.

Newt copied the gesture before lining me back up in front of the mirror and pulling out various knives and other such pieces. Hammers. Stone clubs. Mallets. Honestly... how did they have so many-

He measured up two sharp steel daggers into my palms. They were nothing special. The handle was secure around the blade. Being wrapped in leather and having hooks to be able to attach into my belt. "I'd really rather not be giving you these." He muttered as he examined the double edged blade.  
"Don't worry, I'm not in a psycho phase at the moment." I rolled my eyes, but I understood what he meant.

The blades. Knifes. Daggers. They would mean that I would have to get up close and personal to what I had to hunt. They were great weapons, but only if wielded by the right person. You had to be quick, and smart to use them. To make sure that you got the right leverage at the right points.

But then he gave me the one weapon the room I had my eyes locked on since I had walked in. "But, maybe you'd have a better chance using this." He said casually as he held out a double arched bow. It wasn't made of metal like I expected but had been carved perfectly. It was smooth and made from strong wood. The draw string was tight and seemed quite well if needed in battle.  
"I-It looks."

I paused as I stared at it hypnotised.

I know... So weird to get entranced by something weird like a bow... but? Something about it seemed vaguely, familiar.

My fingers ran over the deep and scripted engraving that moved along the outside of the weapon. _'Crudele'._ I ran my hand over it, feeling the way that it had been elegantly carved in. "We got this in the shipment that came with you." Newt said quietly. I could feel his gaze locked on me, as I reached out and gently took hold of the weapon. "Does... Does it mean anything to you?"

He fell quiet as I flipped the bow in my hand and turned sharply to the mirror, pulling the draw string back tightly and feeling the way I could feel the stretch in my own body. My eyes were locked dead centre on my own forehead. Watching the way that my crimson and white tipped fringe fell just above my right eye. "You look strangely... right with that." He said quietly before he held out an arrow.

I took the arrow slowly, spinning it in my fingers as I watched the way Newt's eyes ran over me.

Tracing my arms and the way I had folded back the sleeves completely so my biceps were exposed too. I pulled up the large hood and let it come to a rest, just giving a small exposure of my hair. I leant back slightly, letting my weight rest in the lower of my back as I took my stance and tested how the bow would hold under the stress of holding an arrow.

Newt was right... something about this did feel, strangely-

"Heads up."

He threw a dagger into the air and my reflexes took over.

A small exhale escaped my lips and I let the arrow fly, barely looking or taking in too much detail as I turned myself sharply towards the doorway.

"SHUCKING KLUNK!"

I grimaced as Gally dropped to the floor, staring up pale where the arrow had hit into the loop of the dagger and pinned it to the doorway, just above his head.

The boy's eyes were wide with fury as he looked at Newt. "Alby's ready to go. Say your goodbyes and good lucks." He growled once towards me, giving me a longing and second glancing gaze as he took in the sight of me with the bow.

He shook his head and quickly walked away.

Leaving me and Newt to exchange a glance as he looked at the bow resting in my hands. "At least I know... that you will be somewhat able to protect yourself." He walked over to the doorway and pulled the arrow out of the framing. He placed it into a quiver load and held it out to me. "Be careful okay... just remember what I said. There's more than just us on this island."  
"Careful is my middle name." I smirked.

I hadn't noticed that our hands were held and our fingers were laced.

Well not until Gally barked out that we had to hurry up and get moving.

"I guess, I'll see you in a bit Newt." I sighed quietly and sadly. I couldn't help but feel as though something was missing... that I should do something. Say something!

"Make sure you make it back in one piece... Cub." Newt said quietly. His eyes seriously steady on me as I gave him one last wavering smile and sprinted out the door after Gally.

Part of me really wished that right now, I really could be the camps Queen...


	8. A taste of the challenge ahead

_**Hi everyone. **Warning: story contains BoyxBoy, swearing, scenes of violence and bear in mind and ratings may be turned up maybe, very soon. I want to thank anyone who favourites or follows this story! ****_

* * *

There was no sound…

Not one tree branch broke or groaned.

Not one leaf rustles.

As the tide of the expert pack began their hunt.

The sunlight poured down onto us as I watched Alby from the corner of my eye. He moved along the floor, taking every step with great care as though his life depended on each and every single one of them. It was easy to see why he was taking the lead right now. He was strength incarnate. He was smart. He had us hunters, all placed out in strategic positions, ready for what ever kind of animal these guys may come across. We was defended enough that if something dangerous came out to strike us, (though seriously, on a island like this, so beautiful and brilliant, how could anything be deadly?) we would be able to lash back quite quickly and look after the one next to us. But we were also powered enough that, those who Alby considered (and it pissed me off later when I found out who he put next to me for this hunting trip) strong and built enough to execute a quick and final strike on a creature. Alby had one last quality out of each of us here which made him better than anyone else.

He was quieter than a shadow.

His hard eyes were locked as I could see him sniffing out his prey. Every so often, brushing down on the soft ground, tracing the line of some prints. We had been following these same prints now, for what felt like over half an hour... I made a mental note never to piss Alby off because he was relentless. There's absolutely no way to get him off the trail of a scent which he was currently locked on. Deep down, I knew that he would hunt down his prey to his last breath. He was relentless, merciless, cold... he was an leader.

"Uh…Alby?" I whispered.

"Humph." He replied without looking at me and I sighed.  
"Hey, don't take it personally." A voice next to me murmured confidently. The scratchy tone to it seemed to just grate on my insides.

I slowly turned my gaze to look at Gally who Alby had ordered next to me for protection. Seeing as though... as he put it, I was a '_small puppy about to get into leagues with the big dogs' _That Gally, had better keep an eye on my small puppy, tail wagging ass... I really got the deep feeling that this boy really, really didn't like me. "Wow, ease up on the glare there private-"  
"Don't call me private." I said quietly as I tried to keep pace with the others as our triangle formation kept moving through the dense and deep tree cover, occasionally having to stop to cut clear a path or scout ahead. However Gally just continued to speak as he didn't notice the growing agitation on my restrained face. He wore nothing over his chest which exposed his strong built torso, though he kept his builders belt secure around his waist. Every so often I would catch the way he would take a certain stance or move his arms in a certain way to flex his muscles. _Oh god. _I rolled my eyes inwardly but kept moving headway under orders from Alby. Besides, it wasn't as though Gally really had anything interesting to say-  
"He never really had been good at showing emotion or talking to people… well talking to anyone except Newt that is.

I stand corrected.

For the first time I let my eyes slowly move over to him, giving him the smallest allowance of my glance. All he had done so far, other than talk about himself was bitch about the others. Oh and then there was the overly obvious, obnoxious, and oh so... just no, flexing.

I shuddered on the inside.

"Yeah." He chuckled and nodded. "Alby and Newt go way back. Then again, most of us at the camp do.  
_Poor Blondie having to be stuck with this egotist before-  
_"Hang on. What?"  
"The three of us go back way longer than this camp." He grinned. "Another reason why we're all suspicious of you, private-"  
"Call me private one more time." I growled in warning quietly.  
"Is because, we all in the past have had memory loss. We have all been in a place where we thought there was no escape. We got out of there, and found out the truth of who we were. Then one thing happened to us all which we share in common and we woke up here. In paradise." Gally paused as he looked around. "We're still even learning about this place. There are islands beyond this one... but we never make it that far. We can only get to three of the surrounding isles." Gally brought his blade down on a length of Ivy in front of us and began to hack away at it's thickness.  
"The Wicked and The Betrayed?" I said quietly.  
"That's right private."

His whole body froze after that as I held the gleaming point of an arrow under his jugular which quivered.

I had moved faster than he had been able to react, or he had just not expected me to do this. But I was annoyed. It was freaking hot. We had been walking for ages and my patience was growing thin. I had no Newt around to make me smile and I was still trying to deal with all this shit without any more fuck load of crap came my way!

Plus hearing people call me Private, as though I was nothing more than just a rank to them... was really fucking me off.

"Call me Private again, and I'll fucking kill you." I whispered. "I have a name." My voice changed to that of a snarl.  
"I'm listening." He sneered.

I pushed the tip of the arrow, just a bit closer against his throat till it was almost piercing the skin.

"I'm listening, intently." He corrected himself with a wide eye look as he examined my own dark scowl. I could see the surprise filling him as I barred my teeth slightly.  
"My name is Fox. Unlike you all, I don't have the luxury of knowing my name and as you can guess, I have very little of myself left." I pushed the tip ever so slightly more. "So call me Fox. Not private. Not kid. Not Boy. Fox. To you. I. Am. Fox. Nothing more. Nothing less."  
"Duck."  
"What did I just say." I glared.  
"No. I. Meant. DUCK!"

He wrapped his arm around my waist tightly and pulled me close into his hold as his blade pierced through the air and through the head of a snake which had been dangling in camouflage with one of the vines behind me... if I hadn't of moved.

Then the thing would have-

I gently rubbed my own neck with my hand as Gally kept his arm tightly around me. "You okay, _Fox_." He smirked  
"Thanks." I growled and pushed him away.

I stared down at the remains of the snake before pulling out one of my small daggers. "You're lucky it didn't bite you. These things soak their teeth in venom. One bite and that would have been it... even their own saliva is coated in a venom gland at the back of the tongue." Gally warned then froze as I struck my blade down the centre skin of the snake after having to exert my full force into cutting the scale... I had to admire his strength if he had really just stabbed the thing as though it had meant absolutely nothing. "What the hell are you doing?" He frowned slightly.  
"Back of the throat huh?" I smirked, stabbing the small gland quickly and letting the clear liquid drip down my blade on all edges and point.

_Newt, I could kiss you right now. _I smiled as I pulled out a small and clear square vial from the sides of my blade sheaths. Newt had recommended I take some vials encase I came across a situation which might call for their use... I guess this counted.

I watched with anticipation as the venom dripped past the deep and large emerald scales and from the dead twitching body which could have easily have been twice the size of any of the vines around us. It filled both vials quickly and I corked them, before slicing around the last bits of the mouth. "Now what the hell are you-"

Gally watched as skellington and internals slid out from the mouth of the thing and he stared back at me as though I had suddenly dropped from the sky.

"Thanks for the gift." I walked away after winding it around my waist.

I barely had chance to look behind me or even notice as Gally whispers. "What a boy." Before shaking his head and chasing after me.

"WAIT! FOX!"  
"Why?" I chuckled. "Scared the boogey man is going to come hurt me-"  
_HISSS_

A scream escaped my throat as a vice like clamp made the nerves around my arms explode out in pain before two sharp stabbing pains followed. "You son of a bitch!" I screamed as my dagger found it's way through the roof mouth of snake which had dropped from the trees. "ALBY! THE TWO FANG GOT HIM!" Gally bellowed as suddenly my body went limp.

Fire began to surge through my blood all over again. It wasn't like anything from being kissed by one of The_ Wicked. _But god did it hurt. "Oh for god's sake." Alby snarled as he took the snake skin from around my waist and tied it around the now constricted dead body of it's brother on the biceps, just bellow where it had bitten. His face was devoid and completely impassive of all emotion.  
_I'M GONNA DIE! AND THIS FUCKER IS ACTING AS THOUGH HE WOULD CARE MORE ABOUT WHAT HE'S GOING TO EAT FOR DINNER!_  
"Gally sort it out. If the shuck face don't make it. Make sure you take his weapons off of him."  
"You cold hearted bastard." I snarled and screamed out as the venom was spreading into my veins.  
"That's just how it is out here. We don't have supplies this month, besides, if you: the famous boy who killed a _Wicked, _is going to going to be struck down by something as a two fang? Then you deserve to stay there on that floor." He stated coldly and walked away with the rest of the others. "When you get the venom out of his blood stream. Put him through the paces to catch up with the rest of us." Alby called quietly over his shoulder.

Gally swore under his breath. "Al'right. This may hurt but don't worry, I'll get you sorted out." He sighed.

What Gally had forgot to mention, (and over dramatised completely) was that the venom of the fucking bastard which had bit me was mainly a paralysis one. Paralysing the target with pain while it spread through the prey's blood system, long enough for the snake to eat it... only if left over a long period of time, or given a directly concentrated dose, would it prove to be instantly fatal.

_**-Break-**_

So here on the scale of comparison is how I put people I knew right now. Newt I put on the highest esteem. He had looked out for me, better and more than anyone else right now. I had some connection with him which I couldn't explain... then there was something else. Something that seemed to move deeper than friendship and I seemed to want to reach out and take. But... I just couldn't explain what it was. I compared him a lot to the waterfall that I had seen on the way here. Cool and calming as water in this blistering heat. Looking so beautiful and amazing that he seemed to have his name etched into paradise.

Then there was Gally. A lot like those snakes, or to say in other words, I was growing to dislike him. He was strong bodied, strong enough that it would take something very real to get through and to hurt him. He Had a tough bite, though his poison did very little to back it up. But all the same, that bite could be wicked.

Which brought me onto the person I had reserved just for last.

Alby. This was a simple comparison. I compared him most to a _Wicked. _Or to put it in simple terms. I. Fucking. Hated. Him.

After me and Gally had sprinted to catch up after him, he had given me one of the foulest glares that I had received since arriving at the camp. He gave me a once look up and down and shrugged me off telling Gally to take me out for a sprint, to try and find some use for me.

His eyes had only lingered on me for a moment longer taking in the sing of where the bastard snake had dragged one of it's fang along the lining of my brands... actually, the thing seemed to have steered completely clear of the brand, nearly all together. As though my skin was fire and it was dry hay. But still, Alby had stared at the cut which Gally have covered up with the skin of the bastard overgrown worm.

It would have been hard to tell that the bastard snake had bit me at all, having first looked at me, except for the original two pin like marks on my arm, but now Gally had cut the skin open slightly even more, to suck and spit the venom out, then clean it with some water from his own small supply. The tanned skin looked a bit sickly green, as though the very infection was being drawn out the pores of the skin and sweated away into the air. "That deadly huh?" I growled quietly, glaring at Gally whenever he dared to meet my gaze.  
"Okay! So I was trying to show off a bit, but-"  
"A bit!? Well-"  
"Hey. Shut up!" He hissed.  
"Excuse me?" I frowned as he came to a sudden stop behind the cover of a tree. Peeking out ever so slightly he began to smile from ear to ear. "I will not!- UHMM!" I snarled out as his hand slammed down over my mouth and muffled me.  
"Alby hates you because he wanted to make Newt his mate, but blondie-OW! No need to elbow!"  
I growled and brushed my teeth against his finger.  
"Okay, you've got rights on calling Newt blondie... but the fact is, Newt refused. Alby got pissed off. He thought he was never going to see Newt again, then to get rejected after finally being reunited? Alby didn't like it." Gally kept his voice low and in a hiss. "Alby hates you because of well...OW!" He finally took his hand off my mouth as I bit his finger. "Alby isn't going to let up on you until you prove your worth! And he's not going to do that until you make your first contribution to the camp. To do that, you need to-"

I finally understood as I looked over to the nearby small opening area.

Flowers blossomed from the uneven patches of ground and bathed, sparkling like a sea of full emeralds under the bath of the sun. "A deer?" I whispered quietly and stared at it hungrily. It had quite a thick bit of meat on it. It seemed to not even know we were there... hence Gally's need for me to keep quiet.  
"I haven't seen one of those shanks around for ages." He stared in awe. He tried to move forward but the his feet and build were too heavy. The moment he put his foot down, a twig snapped loudly and we both went rigid, freezing in place as the Deer's head shot up.  
"Don't. Move." I said on the inside of my breath.

I couldn't stop the smirk which curved onto my face as I watched the animal lower it's head back down to the ground and begin to shove it's face greedily with all the food it could. "I could take it down." Gally growled as quietly as me, as I slowly began to reach for the bow on my back.  
"You're heavy footed!" I said keeping my voice as impassive as I could.

I slowly drew the arrow back.

"Draw it's attention... I'll deal with the rest."  
"Yeah... But Fox? That isn't-" He paused for and looked at my face before scoffing. "You're not gonna learn are you."  
"Learn what?" I hissed. "I don't see what the problem is! That thing is stood there, eating up like there's no tomorrow, completely defenceless!"

He stomped his foot down on another twig.

_HISSSSS_

I stared at what had been the innocent sleek brown coat deer... it's mouth now unhinged to reveal a set of razor lined teeth as it turned in our direction.

"Oh." Was All I could manage to say. I noticed the crimson stains along all those wickedly sharp razor teeth and was almost sick as I noticed the strands of another animal still handing around the edge of it's mouth before a long slimy tongue stuck out to lick up the flesh into it's mouth.  
"Yeah. Oh."  
"So... the animals on this island-"  
"A lot of them are carnivorous." Gally nodded.  
"Oh... well... fuck." I crouched lower. Narrowing my eyes. "I've got... one good shot then." I decided and he nodded. "If not."  
"Then the thing will run at us." Gally reasoned.  
"So... don't miss?"  
"Not missing would be good." He nodded.  
"Oh shit." I felt my breath hitch as my hand shook slightly.  
"Together... on three...one...two...three!"

_**-Break-**_

I groaned as I slowly blinked my eyes open. I was slumped forward onto the strong muscled back of someone. "You shunk, klunk faced idiots." A familiar face growled. "Give him here. You honestly thought that it would be the best to take on one of them, after he has had no training! Had been bitten! And was exhausted!"  
"You know the training regiment Newt." Growled Alby's voice.

Newt? NEWT!... oh... Newt.

Dread filled my aching and exhausted body as I could imagine how fucked off he was going to be.

"I don't care about the klunking regime you idiot! Just-"  
"W-what the hell happened." I groaned.  
"You got yourself put down on Queen duty for the next month." Alby growled, before the sound of his footsteps began to fade away.

A familiar and comforting pair of arms curved around my torso as I half opened my eyes to Gally's bruised face. His hand patted my back and he gave a soft smirk. "You missed, hawk eye." He joked. "Get some rest. You just wasn't... wasn't ready for it was all." He shrugged. "Maybe next time."

Newt wrapped his arms around me tighter and stared down at me. His bleary reflection looked furious to say the least. "I just thought...I wanted to-"  
"I don't blame you." He shook his head. "Though I do have to question just how hard that Wicked hit your head, for you to honestly not turn around and come back to the camp! Honestly Cub! What was you thinking!"

Thunder exploded over us and I let out a loud and restraint whimper. My eyes closing tighter as all conversation came to a halt. "You're scared of thunder?" He whispered.  
"A-Am not!" I snarled but fell quiet and ducked my head into his chest as it sounded loud again. _It's not one of the Wicked. It's thunder. _I kept telling myself, over and over again. But it was no use. I just cowered pathetically.

So jut fucking great. Here's how my first full day in the camp had gone.

I had fucked off my new leader just for the fact that me and Newt were friends. For some reason, he hated me cause Newt had refused to be mates with him! I had gotten bit by some fucking snake... and from the feel of the bump on my head. That meat eating deer had landed a decent kick onto my head and knocked me out.

I had to say, I was glad that I couldn't remember a close encounter with that thing. Something about it, freaked the hell out of me.

And worst of all?

Now. I was the pathetic weak and scared little boy in Newt's arms. Clinging out of fear.

I wish that Wicked could have killed me.

Newt just shook his head down at me, "Come here you little cub." He smiled gently and pulled me close as I was settled down on something soft... a bed? Hang on.. "Just try and get some sleep, okay?" He whispered and pulled me closer to him.

I feigned my breathing, hoping that he may have thought, I already was.

"I'm just so glad you're okay." He murmured and I felt him smile into his hair.

Before the darkness claimed me.

And I really fell asleep.

Day one was over... and thank shuck that it was.


	9. A rose by any other name

**_Hi everyone. I want to first apologise profoundly for the long wait for me to have to update this story. I'm so sorry, but I want to thank all of you who have been so greatly patient and stuck with the story. Thank you to everyone who has favourite and followed this story, it means so much more than you could all know. Have a nice day/night wherever you are. Warning: Story contains boyxboy, swearing, scenes of violence and will have it's ratings turned up in the next couple of chapters. Next chapter will have a surprise for all of you._**

* * *

"You look as red faced as a Tomato, you been up in the nights playing with your new toy?" A cold voice grated.  
"Can it Alby would ya?"

Thomas was sat ona pile of logs, catching his breath after having put himself through a rigorous training session. His blond hair was sleeked back from his brow, it glistened with sweat as Thomas took a swig from his animal skin pouch which kept fresh and cool water from the river. He stopped for a minute and tipped it over his face to cool down his skin and with any look, let the blush which had been decorating his cheeks vanish.

His puppy dog brown eyes blinked the droplets away before he turned his gaze back to the other boy who had simply turned away and walked off. "Why don't you all go shuck yourself instead of trying to keep your noses stuck into my business." His voice took a sharp edge to it, his teeth gritting as the tension built through his body.

He was only dressed in a pair of shorts, considering the sheer temperature of the day as the sun was scorching down onto them. He had decided that he may as well get in a few hours of training while Fox was off getting used to the new duty which Alby had pinned him under after seeing the performance of the new recruit just over a week ago.

Newt wasn't sure how to feel, the training had distracted him up to a point, but now he was finally being able to take a break, his mind was ticking over with thoughts. How was Fox getting along in the camp? Was he adjusting well? Would he be okay with the duty that they shoved him with? Were the others giving him a hard time? How was he after what had happened between them in secret that night when he had come back from the hunt-

That got Newt to pause as his face heated up a bit more.

What had happened between the two boys that night?

Newt had been sure that he had been feeling some weird sense of connection to the new boy, ever since he had watched him take the full brunt attack from one of the _Wicked. _Watching the way that Fox had leapt so elegantly and taken his body up among the flames. The boy had moved so gracefully among what Newt had thought was instant death, yet the boy had almost made it look like he had taken fate as a dance. He had made it all his own, taken beauty into control. Made the monster nothing more than a toy of his movements.

And it had been beautiful.

He had watched the way the flames had licked up and across the porcelain skin which became instantly bronze as though the very sun itself had streaked across Fox's body, coating him with that warm bronzed skin. It had been lined with darker branding, strange patterns which had slowly leaked and dripped across his arms and torso in a precise lining, every line was exactly placed and lit up by flames before settling down as normal skin. His hair instead of setting alight had simply lit with the colours of blood and fire. The orange licks of fire itself had swept across the platinum blonde and made it turns deathly white. Crimson stains which resembled blood had remained across and settled down. Just like the boy's skin. The bronze bled away before being replaced by a peachy softness in tone.

But everything that he had watched of the entire process. What had shocked him most was watching those great and unpredictable orbs of light which were his eyes. Through the defiant act which could have been his death. Fox had simply just half looked at Newt through the agony of those changing emerald orbs, the light sparkling their colour and washing away all identity of them in a wave of submerged pain. They had looked so hypnotically astounding for those few seconds they had remained on him, before they had exploded into a wave of agony.

The their colour had been washed away in an crimson bath of fire.

Newt had watched the strange transformation take place.

But then afterwards, those moments that seemed to have had Newt drawn to him like a leash. When he had held Fox when the boy had been crying. Watching tears drip down that newly marked and changed face. It had felt so weird holding onto him, knowing that his encircled arms had formed some kind of barrier of protection for the boy, giving some kind of comfort to him. Newt had always found that to anyone else like that around their camp, he had told to simply man up, he had given them a bit of tough love, scolding but encouraging them to get back on their feet and fight their problems. Even so much as to coach or help them through their difficulties, but never to hold them or comfort them like he had done in those moments with Fox.

Something had blossomed inside of Newt at that moment, something he knew that he would never be able to explain, now or ever again, for as long as he lived. It had begun at the sight, but when he had taken a gentle hold and comforted the boy. When he had saw Fox's bare body. Even if the boy was skinny and malnourished... there was a aura about him. Something that Newt found he was drawn too. When he had carried him and felt Fox pass out for a bit on his back when they had swam. Feeling his light breathing against the crook of his neck. It had made something inside Newt twist and burn invigorated. Something he hadn't felt for a few years.

Not since he had first seen a certain boy come out the box of his last prison.

He turned his head over to the side of his vision, noting out the corner of his eye that Gally was working harder than usual on his push ups, intensifying his training. Normally the boy wouldn't be doing anything other than the bare minimum so he could get back to the camp faster. But today, he actually looked as though he was putting the effort in.

Newt narrowed his eyes and slowly stood, turning his back. "What? Already enough for you blondie-"  
"It's Newt to you, Gally." He snarled ferociously, even making the other boy startle for a second as Newt reeled around to glare at him viciously. No one got away with calling him that except for Fox. Out of anyone else, the word just sounded wrong. But when Fox would grin through them at him. It seemed to feel right. "And what time did you get here." He challenged.  
"Ten O'clock, as always-"  
"I've been here since Six." Newt stated, watching the other boy's face go slack for a moment and before Gally could compose himself, Newt simply spun on the spot and walked off before the other boy could say anything.

It wasn't that far back to camp anyway, it gave Newt more time to think. He had been doing a lot of that recently, thinking about a certain red head.

Maybe it really was just for the reason that it was the first time that Newt had been away from the boy in just over a week, or maybe it was because of the events from the evening a couple of days ago. But Newt couldn't get that mysterious beauty out of his head!

The way that Fox had looked wearing his hooded shirt. The way the boy's shorts had been skin fitted or the way there was the pair of daggers strapped to his thighs, which the aspiring hunter now wore permanently and often kept his hand on sometimes in front of others, to show just how seriously he meant business. That was when Fox was actually around any more. When he wasn't with Newt (and even then, he didn't do much other than take comfort in the company), he pretty much stuck to himself among the tree covers. He didn't tend to speak up any more, or at all.

Newt had grown to cherish his words in the last couple of days.

The failure of his first hunting trip seemed to have hit Fox hard. Rumours were going around about various versions of his defeat.

No one seemed to mention that he was the one who had found the Deer in the first place.

It explained why Fox was so distant from everyone else. After all, to everyone else, he was still the Private and the Omega of their pack. He may have killed a _Wicked, _but the fact that he was a newbie was still dominant over him. It meant that until he proved himself with a hunt, and killed a _Wicked, _in front of their very eyes, he would not be respected. Which meant that to others he was just a bit collar material for a good fuck and a bottom bitch to many of the strong boys.

That got Newt's blood boiling.

_"__I remember when you said your father's asleep. __I remember swimming as our clothes drifted off to sea." _

Newt froze as he heard the sound of a gentle melody drift on the breeze and fill him from head to toe. A multitude of notes, strong and constant made their way along side the beautiful sound of the voice. But the words. The words specifically, Newt lingered on.

_"So wake up, wake up dreaming." _The voice carried on soothingly, it's very tone was soft and hypnotic, but there was a familiarity behind the words. The same kind of familiarity that Newt imagined, he felt when hearing them. Like they were a comfort, something familiar among every other strange thing around here.

But music around here? That was strange. They had pretty much everything around here, drinks, homes, shelters, pens for animals, even a graveyard for those who fell on hunts or battles to reclaim supplies. But they never had much music. Sure some kids would sing drunkenly after one too many, but never had they actually dedicated time to something like that.

_"And lie here with me. __So wake up, wake up dreaming." _

Newt carried on walking off the path and turning towards the roses where a fresh line of tracks were leading off the course. The footprints varied in size since normally people didn't veer off into areas of the camp where they weren't allowed. But from the deep imprints, even after over a week of time passing, the footprints from Fox and Newt sprinting and chasing after each other were still clear in the soft and light coloured grass.

The rose bushes had a slightly gap where a small new path had been forged by the footsteps.

Newt smiles to himself remembering the small chase between him and the other boy, when they had ended up falling over each other. Being so close to one another that they could feel their heartbeats against one another's. So close that their lips had nearly neatly glided over one another. Newt had been hoping quietly that, even just out of interest for how it would have felt, that he would have had the gap between their lips closed and been able to kiss.

_"And lie here with me."_

Newt slowly stepped through the overgrowth and into the clearing where he saw some of the other boys were sat against some trees, their sad tainted gazes were glazed over with curiosity as they all were turned towards a hooded figure who was sat singing softly, holding a instrument fashioned from his bow and a line of extra strings which were from the junk pile of various building materials. Each was fashioned into a glistening new string. Each which wouldn't have worked as a draw string now fitted perfectly and was making a array of musical notes.

But still no one seemed to have noticed Newt was there, all the while some kid was tapping along on a length of stretched leather across a small gap between the bark on a tree. The sound it made resonated perfectly with the strings of the bow, which was picking up tempo faster and faster as the melodic voice seemed to find some kind of solace in the tone and the words. _"Here we go. Just lose control and let your body give in to the beat, of your heart, as my hand touches your skin. Is this love or just sexual desire."_  
_"We're gonna start a fire!" _The other boys sang quietly along with him, lacking the certainty of the song.

Newt smiled softly watching the hood of his old shirt come down, revealing more than just the spike of crimson and snow white hair which had been sticking out on a fringe at the front, now revealing the army of spiked mess which it was but still fitting to the boy and his new appearance.

Fox stopped suddenly as he finally noticed Newt stood at the edge of the clearing. His eyes in the light looked like the crimson and orange fire which had washed over him, changing him. It was impossible now to put down into one colour what Fox's eyes were. Newt didn't even find it weird but rather attractive. The way that Fox was so unique, so stubborn and defiant.

Newt couldn't understand why he felt so drawn to the boy.

Upon the other boys turning their heads, he offered a soft round of applause to Fox who gave a gracious, slight bow of his head as indication of his gratitude. "Okay you lot, that's enough for one day. I'm taking your group leader to lunch, I'm sure he will still be here for you later. Soon enough you will be working like him. That's it, scatter." He nodded his head sharply and the boys scattered at Newt's command leaving just him and Fox alone in the clearing.

The red head stared up at the cloudless sky for a moment, letting the sunlight wash over his face as he bathed in it's warmth. He didn't seem to sweat like Newt or the others, but only now seemed completely comfortable with the scorching temperature. His eyes seemed to be regarding Newt from the side, almost as though he was daring Newt to say something mocking like all the others had.

"You're a pretty decent Queen." Newt said with raised hands, looking like he was surrendering but glad that the sharpness in Fox's gaze eased up as Newt walked over and took a seat next to him against the trunk of the tree. "So not feeling much talkative today." He sighed softly, looking over his shoulder to see that Fox's eyes lingered across the various branded lines of his skin. He had put down the bow when Newt had taken a seat and instead now kept one hand against the handle of his dagger.

Newt knew not to take it offensively, with everything that had been happening recently, it was only understandable that Fox be on edge a lot. The boy had been assaulted, attacked, displaced, had his mind erased, lost his identity and pretty much everything else, only to be awakened and find himself stuck in some kind of horror story.

It's also a reason why Newt didn't say anything after he watched Fox move in closer to him and rest his head against Newt's shoulders, closing his eyes and letting some sense of bliss take him away, leaving only Newt's comfort. Knowing Newt was net to him, knowing that none of the others were there. There were no monsters.

It was why Newt spared no time in wrapping an arm around the boy and easing him against his chest as both let the rich and sweet smell of the clearing and the flowers fill them to the brim and over.

Newt had known that from the moment he had woken up in the box once again, that there was no way that he could have found peace. That there was absolutely no possibility that he would ever find anything remotely close to tranquillity or a home.

Having a bullet fired into your head kind of had that effect on you.

But right now in this moment? Holding Fox, feeling the boy's body against his own. This was the first real time that he felt like he actually had a purpose once again. That he actually felt like he was going to have something to do. That purpose? To care for this mysterious boy who had become such a strong presence to him. But in doing that, that meant to ask him a question which Newt was terrified to ask.

But after that night, Newt hadn't been able to think of anything else. Only asking Fox if he would be his mate. Not for the purpose of blowing off some steam, but for the reason that inside of him there was something blossoming. All Newt had ever wanted in this place. Never to mate to just get an easy fuck and let out some stress, but to find someone he may actually have feelings-

His thoughts were interrupted by a low grumbling sound and an embarrassed and flushed look from Fox who covered his stomach in a vein attempt to hide try and crush the sound out of existence. "Well, I guess someone really is hungry?" Newt laughed, only to receive a look from Fox with a rose eyebrow and slight bit of a glare. Newt could guess what the boy was going to say; _"well you promised lunch!" _

Newt had started noticing himself that he had been able to read Alex a lot better lately, like the boy was actually allowing Newt to get a glimpse through the mask which he usually used to hide his thoughts... but considering that Newt was pretty much the only one he actually talked to, with the exception of his group since his duty as a Queen was to make sure the others were okay, and that often meant talking to them, this meant that Fox really didn't have many options with his new adapted silence, so Newt being able to read him, became quite a handy tool between both boys.

Newt gave a smile and nodded to the boy, absently running his fingers through Fox's hair and not even noticing that he was doing so, or the fact that Fox himself was purring slightly at the affectionate touch, which was sending all kind of tingles through his nerves. "Well, I guess I kind of did, didn't I?" He threw a hand behind his head with a cheesy smile while Fox just rolled his eyes, a tweak of the corner of his mouth, moving up slightly as he looked over Newt.

The boy grabbed his bow, quickly unfastening the not needed strings so that it was ready. He armed himself with a loose arrow from the quiff on his back and span on the spot, turning his gaze upwards towards the trees and Newt rolled out the way, remembering what happened last time Fox had done this, and he had ended up with a lot of bruises on his head.

Fox smirked against his bow, watching the movement out the corner of his eye, but his main focused was turned onto the large tree cover above him. His eyes sharpening as his ears bristled and noted any movement. His mind trying to regulate everything; the strength of his draw, the positioning of the bow, the angle of trajectory, possibility of hitting a target and above all else, the calm of his heart beat.

So with a soft release of breath, he let the arrow fly.

Newt stared on simply with awe in his eyes at how his Cub had seemed to become so intensified and obsessed with making his long range skills above the standard even needed. He had come out here now a couple of nights to find in the pouring rain that Fox was practising. Running with his bow and firing at trees. Firing at his daggers for precise fire and above all else, trying to make sure that he never once missed the target.

Newt knew why the boy was pouring such an intense energy into using the bow, but it didn't mean that he had to approve of the boy doing so.

"Nice shot!" He smiled, watching how Fox slowly turned to him. "This time you didn't even get one to hit me in the-AGGHH!"

Fox let the arrow let loose from his bow which fired at Newt's head, just skimming over the top of his hair and pinning the arrow deeply into the bark of the tree behind him. The boy fell to the ground crying with laughter while Newt fell to the ground staring at horror where the arrow was and trying to account for his breathing. His survival instincts had kicked in, screaming for him to move, but his faith and knowledge of Fox had kept him frozen in place till the arrow had passed. "Told you I was going to get you back for the platform, Blondie." Fox smirked.  
"That was not funny Cub!" Newt exclaimed with a bark.

Fox simply batted his eyes innocently at the blonde and feigned innocence. "You said never to let what happened last time repeat itself." He said gently in a soothing voice.  
"Well there are other ways to warn someone. Like, shouting, calling out, telling them that something is about to hit them. Not to fire a arrow within an inch of the persons life!"  
"And yet."

Fox slowly walked over, a grin placed across his face as he caught an falling apple from the tree. He knew his arrow had severed at least a dozen of them up in the great height but he had aimed it so that the cords would break slightly, but give Newt enough time to move away before they fell. "That got your blood pumping a bit? Admit it. You enjoy the rush just as much as I do." He bit deeply into the apple and Newt stared after the mouth with a slight rush. The rush of adrenaline was still coursing through his body. His heart was racing, it felt so intense. Fox was right. He did enjoy the rush, but too much of it certainly wasn't his favourite thing in the world.

"Yeah but I know why you are pushing yourself so hard." Newt said softly, watching how Fox instantly tensed up, the way he always did when Newt went a little further into the boy's thoughts than Fox had thought he had allowed him so. "Listen, Alby is just a bit of a shuck head is all. He will come around to you eventually... he just gets a bit... caught up sometimes. You haven't got to be out here till midnight or up at the crack of dawn to work your arse off trying to get into the hunters. You will be a hunter, I know it. But it won't happen if you keep pushing yourself like you do."  
"How come to anyone else you would tell them to get their Klunk together and man the shuck up? But to me, you hug me, you hold me, you sit with me and whisper to me softly." Fox glared, going on the defensive. Newt knew that he always did this, Fox was closely guarded to his thoughts, and often lashed out at being read so well.

But he had asked the question which Newt was terrified to answer... if he even actually had the answer himself at all.

The blonde stared for a moment at Fox's expectant face, waiting for the answer that he knew he wasn't going to get, or even actually expected to get. Fox just stood there with the apple in hand as a dozen came falling down from the tree in a rain around him. Each showing where the arrow had punctured their connection to the tree. "Cub... listen... it's just really complicated!" Newt began, rubbing the back of his neck as he always does when he's stressed while the red head just exhaled calming himself.  
"The rose garden, this clearing!" Fox whispered softly, looking around to the spot on the ground where he had laid on Newt, nearly about to kiss him. "The box. The black sand beach. When you bandaged me. When I was out cold. When you cared for me..." He hesitated for a long moment, blushing bright red. "The other night." He said even softer. Neither mentioning what happening for it was clear in their minds as anything. "What does it all mean Newt? Are you like this with everyone or just me? because I'm scared to find out and yet so excited to!"  
"It's just complicated okay!"  
"No Newt." Fox stated. "You're making it complicated." He slowly walked forward till he was stood against the other boy. Newt could feel Fox's heart hammering against his exposed chest, and although he was obviously just as scared as Newt was at how this was going. Fox kept his face completely calm and closed of interpretation. "All you have to do is tell me. Because right now-"

He paused for a moment staring at Newt deeply. All of his instincts screaming to turn and run away. All part of his amnesia riddled brain roared for him to do what he did best, turn and never look back.

And just as he finally managed to do so, Newt grabbed his arm and pulled him back against him. Their bodies sliding together as Fox pushed his chest up against Newt's. Finding a gentle hand grabbed his chin and tilted his face so that they were connecting gazes. Their eyes holding each other unable to be broken apart. Newt's strength held him fast, but Fox knew he could easily have slipped away. All he would have to do would be to stun Newt and then he would easily be able to run off.

But instead he found himself being pulled closer, the gap between their lips closing faster and faster. "Newt?" The smaller boy whispered softly, watching as he tilted his head ready to embrace the other's lips. Newt was ready for it. This was what he had been waiting for. This is what had meant to happen. It's what he had been trying to do. It's just what- "Hey, Fox-"

Newt found he had to react quickly as Fox went to draw an arrow and he gripped the boy's wrist, however that didn't stop the red head from screaming. "WHAT! WHAT THE HELL!"

It took Newt a moment to realise that it was Gally who was stood at the edge of the clearing, and that he himself was glaring viciously at the boy. "Uh... Newt have you got a pretty good grip on him there?" The boy wondered as Gally stared at Fox who was beyond livid.  
"Depends. What the hell do you want and-" He startled for a moment as Fox became still. _Oh no. _"No Cub, don't!" He held onto his wrist tightly and slammed Fox back against the tree so the boy couldn't lunge. The boy gasped slightly as the rough bar scratched across his thinly clothed back.  
"Huh. Well I just learnt something." Fox said quietly as he noted Newt's strong arms. "But Gally, I swear, I'm gonna make you fucking pay-"  
"We need you on the front line."

Both Newt and Fox froze at that. "What? But I only brought Cub back a week ago and-" But Gally was already shaking his head frantically. His eyes hard and bowed in annoyance.  
"No. Not you Newt. Just after you left, we tried to catch up with you, we thought you'd gone back to camp." He sighed. "Fox, you're coming with me to the front line. There's been a delivery. Newt you're on bed rest, Fox, I guess you're going to get your wish after all. Get ready for the fight of your life kid. You're in Omega squad and we're shipping out."


	10. Highway to the danger zone

**Hi everyone. First sorry for the long wait my dear gladers, but hopefully this chapter makes up for it =) Thank you to everyone who has favourite and followed this story. Thank you also soo much to Poasoianne, girlluvsblondie and fiercetiger333 for all your lovely reviews =) I'm glad you all enjoy the story so far! ^_^ Have a nice day/night wherever you are. Warning: Story contains boyxboy, swearing, scenes of violence and will have it's ratings turned up in the next couple of chapters. **

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Newt sat back in the armory with an pained impassive face as he watched Fox take a stance in front of the mirror, stringing his bow with a fresh wire and checking that it felt balanced enough in his hand. His hood was up and yet his eyes still glinted in the dark light of the room as the sun was setting. The fractures titan of a moon rising into the sky to line a light of bursting stars. The trees were blanketed into the lights of the crystals which grew out the trunks and in the far distance, little dots speckled a inferno orange. Newt knew that those were the _Wicked _hunting from their island. Preparing as they could probably sense something was about to happen.

Those bleeding overgrown fireflies always knew when they were gearing up for a operation.

Fox stared at himself from beneath the hood of the shirt. His crimson hair was blazing warm against the cold background of the room. The shadows around him flickered, dancing with movement as he watched his eyes. A slight red tint had entered his eyes providing a harsh and cold crimson burning undertone. He couldn't stand it. None of it! The bandages which were wrapped around his lean and sculpted abdomen and torso. The way his biceps were circled trying to hide some of the more detailed brands. His hood remained up, casting shadows over the thick lines of what were like whiskers and the bronzed circles around his eyes.

His heart was pounding away violently in his chest. His blood racing around his body. Fear and adrenaline mingled together into one with a blood lusting dark excitement as he tested the strength of the bow. The draw was excellent and perfect. It would have been able to pierce into the thickest of tree bark from one of the outside towering trees, let alone through the flames of one his prey. No. He had come equipped for this. Within the spare time of his hunt he had been working on something to make sure he wouldn't fail again at taking down his prey.

Those flaming bastards wouldn't get an inch towards him this time.

"You don't have to do this."

He paused for a moment and looked over his shoulder to where Newt was sat, his head resting on laced fingers. His eyes, ever watchful were locked onto Fox. They didn't move for a single second, the only time the gaze was broken was when the boy had to blink. There were words lingering in the air around him. Words that he seemed unable to deal with. 'The clearing', 'The connection', 'The unfinished kiss'.

Fox lingered at that one. His own mind still reeled with thoughts of the gap which had been so nearly closed between both boys. It had been the closest that Fox had been to kissing Newt yet. He had truly thought that they may have been able to kiss this time without interruption. Without his own mind making him turn away. Without fear of being judged by it.

But now he was getting something he had wanted for the past weeks since he had woken up.

A chance at revenge.

He looked down at his arrows trying to busy himself however he could with something other than starting the conversation which would lead to a great awkwardness between both. Fox didn't want to leave to go on something this dangerous with the idea of coming back to Newt maybe not liking him any more because... because of something he could barely get his head around yet.

His body however was screaming at him with a stubborn persistence that he acknowledge it.

"Fox." Newt said a bit gentler.

The red and white haired boy felt his head slowly and gently turned as a strong hand cupped his chin, now making him tilt his head up so he was forced into look into the blonde's dark eyes. "You know that we both have to talk-"  
"Are you ready get-"

Fox flinched around firing an arrow hearing Gally yelp as the door was quickly slammed shut but the arrow still went through it. Half the shaft being buried into the wood of the door before it came to a stop. "Waste of a good arrow." Fox snarled under his breath, though he paused as he felt Newt's hand slowly rise from his chin and slowly stroke across his cheek, gently feeling the rough skin, yet smooth looking skin of his branded marks. He could feel Newt's surprise as the blonde felt the intense heat coming off those marks. "Are you okay? You feel like you're coming down with a fever?" But as his hand brushed slightly over to the peachy tones of normal skin, Newt was surprised at the incredible difference of temperature and how the lighter patches were cool, so much so that they almost even felt cold.

He frowned slightly but kept the look back as he heard Fox let out an inaudible gasp. Newt had noticed on _that night, _there were a few spots where Fox's nerves were sensitive. Whenever he accidentally ran his hand or fingers over them, he would always find himself slightly pleased when Fox would make these sounds. That he had actually managed to get them out of the boy. There was something strange about it... something almost attractive about it.

Fox slowly turned his eyes up to Newt and stared at him with those horrific changing orbs which now looked like they were dripping in a tide of fresh blood. The touch was setting his body alight in all the right ways, sending flushed of warmth through his muscles and trembles of cold down his spine. His body felt like it was awakening up after a long sleep.

Newt's touch was the key to the prison which was his body.

Newt's fingers toyed around, sensitively gliding across his cheek for a couple of minutes, Fox's soft moans were all the music that he needed to now but he couldn't help grin when the red blush exploded across the smaller boy's cheeks. "N-Newt." The boy barely managed as his nerves were exploding at the touch. His need for more growing desperately with every single spark which ignited within him.

The shoulders of his shirt slipped back slightly and rode down halfway to his arms and stopped at his elbow, catching behind his twig like body but giving Newt a full visual sight as the smaller boy could do nothing against the sensitive ignite of his nerves.

Newt tried not to wince as he caught the markings of the branding sticking out just above the boy's bandages. He was certainly slender, like a swimmer and had a graceful body to match. But Newt still wondered if he would ever get to see the full exposed image of it ever again...

He licked his lips slightly subconsciously.

"So now he speaks." The blonde teased as he looked down at Fox.

There was no arguing with him going. there was none. Fox would be going out into that battlefield. Whether Newt liked it or not. Whether the boy could send himself out there, Alby would just send him off to a different unit and keep Fox in the Omega unit. The unit made up of their youngest and newest recruits. It was named _Omega _for a reason!

He curled his others fingers except for his index one which came to a crooked rest under Fox's chin, now the boy was panting slightly, his eyes fully blown with lust, Newt could literally seeing the boy getting ready to lunge. _If this may be the last ever time that I see you? __Then I'm giving you the right send off. _He began to lean in slowly.  
Fox stared disbelieving but only tilted his head up more, ready for Newt to take control as his lips half lidded.  
"Fox. Will you be my m-"  
"FALL IN LINE NOW PRIVATE!"

Both stopped again but this time Fox pulled no arrow. His eyes dripped with a brighter red in their iris as he pulled his shirt back up slowly, it was still unbuttoned but this time he kept the hood down. Newt wanted to scream out in absolute frustration and anger at how much he was fed up of people ruining any moment that he could get between him and Fox.

But the other boy did it quite well for himself as he slowly turned and he allowed someone other than Newt to see his changing eyes for the first time.

Alby visibly flinched back when Fox turned his head and let the vicious blood colour of his eyes blaze with a quite rage against the impassive state of his face. "We're a bit busy here!" Newt snapped angrily but Alby barely even glanced at him, the boy's black eyes were just as daringly cold as Fox's. "Alby shuck off! I was about to ask him-"  
"We're pulling out now!"

With that he slammed the door wider open and both boy's glared at each other before following the appointed head of the pack out the door and to the waiting area where a bunch of the younger kids that Fox had been looking after were stood. "You're kidding me!" He screamed at Alby upon seeing those he had been looking after were now stood here, ready to fight, a lot of them looked surprised to have heard Fox speak, let alone shout at their leader who had never been challenged before. "I've only just come back from there! Newt barely made it out alive and he's fully trained! These kids can barely shoot an arrow from a bow!"  
"Then you have something in common with them." Alby said simply.  
"Put an apple in your mouth and we'll just see!" Fox bellowed, now being grabbed by Newt as the blonde wrestled to keep him from lunging. "Maybe I'll get lucky and miss it on purpose!"  
"You little-"  
"You're going to send out a bunch of untrained kids?" Fox shouted even louder.

By now, others from the camp were starting to turn around and take more notice. It was visible just how frustrated Alby was getting with this, now that the boy was pulling in an audience. "Well guess what? Newt was the only person from his squad to come back alive from getting me?" Fox looked over his shoulder. "Correct?!" He asked sharply and the blonde nodded sadly.  
"Well maybe if he hadn't had to drag your ass back here-"  
"They were dead before I had even managed to climb out the confines of that box."

The moment the words left Fox's mouth the others in the clearing began to shift uneasily, their eyes locked on this war of wills between Alby and Fox.

Fox barged forward at the edge of Newt's grip. His teeth barred angrily as his eyes blazed. Newt was whispering soft words into his ear but they were lost on him, they were lost to the unjustified rage now exploding out of the constricting grip Fox had held it in for the last few weeks of having to deal with Alby. "And you're forgetting, Newt got that far! He got me out of the box. But I killed the _Wicked_!"

Now everyone's interest had grown.

"So you say-"

In one quick moment, Fox whipped the bandages off from around his biceps showing the long and winding lines which blazed down the outside of his arm in a spiral of angry vines to line up with the bones outside and the back of his hand and to his fingertips. "I leapt from the box and jumped into the heart of a _Wicked_. I smashed through it. I swatted out and quenched it's heart with my leap and it became nothing but smoke in the air." With each ennunciated word, the tension in the crowd seemed to grow, like Fox was presenting a qualification that they all craved. "After being kissed by one of them I ran back to the border. By myself. I made the leap across the chasm. By myself. That was all just after I had woken up." Fox growled quietly, his voice taking a cold tone.  
"You got lucky-"  
"Damn straight!" He barked angrily, cutting Alby off before he had a chance to belittle him or patronize him. "It cost me my own appearance. My body. The last thing I had of myself left in this new place. But guess what. I still did it." He smirked. "Did you do that when you woke up for the first time? Or did you sob your fucking eyes out."

The crowd took a quiet and long drawn breath.

"Just like you do now... because you're so jealous of me that you can't even stand it-"

He was silenced as Alby punched him square in the face and sent him smashing onto the ground. "One more... I dare you." The boy growled as Fox spat blood out the side of his mouth. His eyes flaring for a second... and Newt thought that for a moment, beneath his now raised hood, he had almost seen the brand lines glow faintly. Newt gently wrapped an arm around the boy's waist and one arm, trying to help him stand. He knew that Alby certainly wasn't one to hold back when giving a punch, and it was lucky that Fox was still even conscious. But by the time that Fox had stood up, he shoved himself away from Newt's support. Determined not to appear weak in front of the others who shot him a mix between awed and pitying looks.

Alby's neck clicked loudly with his knuckles as he stretched out casually. His eyes wondering over the kids and the only other person there that he had put into the squad for this mission; Gally.

"No." Newt snapped, eyeing the other boy who was already smirking and winking at Fox. "No. Not happening. No chance-"

Surprisingly, before Gally or Alby could say something, it was Fox who reached out a finger and placed it to Newt's lips making him fall silent. "You will be going across the border, as usual, we have had the signal that something is stirring back in the battle zone." After Fox's outburst there was now a visible rise of decent moving through the fifteen or so younger boys.

The edge of the crowd had quickly split after the first and only punch had been thrown by Alby, who now surveyed the boy's with a fixated and stern look. "You will fight into the battle zone and then bring back what has ever set the alarm off." He gave one last dead eye look to everyone except Fox. "You know what the rules are concerning those who turn back or run from this duty. Court marshal."  
"A lot more merciful than being kissed by a _Wicked._" Newt managed to hear Fox whisper.  
"Good luck to you all. You may now go-"  
"Yeah... just one thing first." Fox stated, smirking as Alby began to object.

But by the time Alby had opened his mouth, Newt was already shoved back against a tree with a leg wrapped around his waist as Fox's mouth smashed onto his.

Alby's shouts of protest were lost in a sea of wolf whistles and cheers as Fox smirked against Fox's mouth, his tongue slowly being carresed by Newt's till the blonde boy flipped them around and smashed Fox against the bark of the tree. His arms rose up behind his head and clung onto his hair as Newt's hand slipped under his shirt, moving slowly along the bandages of the smaller boy's. His gasps and moans were load though Fox kept his eyes shut and his leg tightly wrapped around Newt's waist when the blonde bit down viciously at the side of his neck and sucked hard, intent on leaving a mark there. "BREAK IT UP!" Alby and Gally bellowed.

But as if they were spurned on by this, both boys were intent on making sure that they finally had their moment as Fox's shirt slid halfway back down his back like it had done when they had been interrupted by Alby in the armory. Their bodies ground together and Fox let out a loud sigh as the pleasure and warmth spread lower through his body. Newt who had been satisfied by the large hickey he had left behind with the bite mark to accompany it now went back to owning Fox's mouth dominant, still grinding his body against the smaller boy's.

It was only when they were both forced to breathe, did they pull apart slightly still panting. Newt's arm clamped onto the leg Fox had wrapped around his lower back. Newt watched the way that Fox's tongue still lingered slightly on his lip as a thin line of saliva was broken between their lips. He leaned in for one last slow and long kiss, still panting heavily but now the kiss was more about a sign of feeling than a explosion of lust.

Alby was still bellowing with Gally but the others were still drowning them out, calling out; 'I knew they'd be mates!' or more strangely, 'that was so fucking hot, Newt got a fucking kinky one!'.

Fox grinned slightly as he got his breath back and smirked. "Worth the wait." Newt nodded, answering the question which lingered in the boy's eyes. "So." He placed a soft kiss. "Worth." He smoothed his lips over Fox's. "It." His tongue gave one last dive as Fox ground their torso's together again. He ran his finger along the boy's cheek. "You better come back alive."  
"You better have that collar ready for when I get back." Fox smirked, slowly walking away down the path as now the squad followed him.

Their new loyalty to their leader was plainly obvious, written across their face likes stars in the night as they watched the boy whoop once and jump for joy.

_**-Break: Fox's POV-**_

I stood quietly at the border, remembering just how daunting it had been last time I was here, alone, cold and bare as Newt had dragged my semiconscious body across the still crystal like surface. But that was different, it seemed that apparently when they had sent us out on the mission, that prick Alby seemed to have left out the fact that everything seemed to go to hell whenever a mission like this was to take place!

Then again Alby hadn't been able to say much after Newt had been one step away from taking me, right there and then against the tree as we had finally kissed!

I was not about to go into this without showing him... after all... I wasn't even entirely sure that I would be coming back from this without being burnt alive or ripped to shreds. Either one was unappealing. But only two thoughts kept

The swim over he had tried to hide his feeling and look of wanting to vomit as the waves had felt like they were trying to pull him under and into their dark depth. No. Not now that all of these kids were following me. I couldn't afford to show my fear at the first hurdle with what we were about to go into. A lot of these will only have seen the island when they first came back... Which meant that they would have only seen the monsters once before-  
"Hey... what you said before... about _The Wicked. _Was it true?"

I paused as I turned and looked into the soft turquoise eyes of a boy I had been teaching to string a bow but a few days before; Jonathan, I think his name was. He was small and had deep crimson hair. His skin was pale and spotted with freckles. He was scrawny and relatively small which is what had worried me when I had seen that he had been using daggers. But I more than anyone should know not to judge appearances by now. But still. All of them. I didn't want to let a single one of them go across this border line and past the black ash beach. I wanted to keep them at my side, behind me. I had spent so much time with them, or what had felt like a long time. Getting to know each one. Trying to connect with them, make them feel comfy here... which was hard since I wanted nothing more than to get the fucking hell away from there... If only Newt wasn't there, then I may have already ran a long time ago.

Jonathan stared at me for a moment, his eyes wide with curiosity. I guess he must have felt bad as the pain of the memory flinched across my face because he looked down slightly ashamed. "Yeah." I finally said quietly and took the first long step of many onto the cracking and charred earth which now crunched beneath my boots- hang on... what?

As I took another step crossing the border, I watched as a black leather like material began to spread across my bare and exposed leg and encased my lower torso in their grip. The material was completely breathable, to be honest, it felt as though I had just done a minute ago except now there wasn't a lot of ash like sand in my feet. Newt's old top shined like a halo of light was passing over it till it began to clasp tighter around my torso.

After a minute I realized that it had became the same material as what was around my legs... it was an armor!

"Didn't you notice Newt change when you came back through?" Gally growled as he stepped across the border without hesitation. His body shined till he was encased in the black body suit armor too, though his had no hood like mine did, but I was more than happy at that point to keep my crimson and white hair hidden... I still hadn't gotten used to this appearance. The glances from the others only made that feeling of disgust at my own appearance all the more prominent as the hatred coursed through my blood like a deadly virus.

I decided not to even waste my breathe on answering him. I had no patience left any more. My heart was coursing with a loud and infinite exultation and I was dead set on making sure that it got what it wanted.

I turned slowly and gazed out at what I had around me. Thirteen boys not including me and Gally. Each of them looked ready to bolt already as they stood unsure of what to do. Each of them had their eyes locked onto the not far distance where fires were exploding and angry roars were the only music which now filled the air. This certainly wasn't something that they remembered or even could have imagined. I knew because I saw it in their eyes. The way that each of them were glancing with new and unadulterated fear and shock. None of them remembered or even knew about how bad it was out here.

Yet it burned in my mind like a fresh lit candle.

With a burning fire in my belly and my heart roaring loudly inside me, I took a slight step up onto a nearby rock which was pointing out the ground like the tip of a fang. My balance had become immaculate, though I may sound arrogant for that, I still thought that I earned my right to acknowledge that my skill had improved. My body felt like an engine in it's prime.

I reached back for my bow but found that it wasn't there. In it's place was a heavy and long black riffle. Two handle grip, sleek and cold to the touch, though it seemed to hum comfortably under my grip as I tried to readjust myself to the intense weight of it. The others stared slightly at it, surprised to see even me holding something like that. "Many of you are still very much like me." I called out, shock ran across many of their faces.

To many of these boys I hadn't used a word or let them hear my voice except when I had been singing. Most of them had started whispering that I didn't have one.

"You look out across this black trench and I see dread in you as much as I see the darkness beneath our feet and hear the threats in the air." I indicated with one hand around us. "But what do they see? A bunch of cowering young boys. Prey. Easy targets." A few of them shot glares. Even Jonathan seemed to look down at the floor with despair at my tone.

"No."

They looked back up at me as I shook my head and clutched my gun tight. I could feel my nails digging into my skin from my grip. "Those back home will still be looking to us to succeed in this mission."  
"We're just bait to them! Animals to be slaughtered!" Gally snarled.

I paused and looked at him out the corner of my eye.

He was tensed. Arms crossed. Eyes set like rocks, cold and unmoved. He was scared. We all were. But he knew the horrors which awaited in front of us... or at least he could imagine just how intense this was going to be. "We're more than that." I let out a small sigh as a grin split across my face. "After all, when a warrior can't fight a dragon. Sometimes he has to rely on another beast to do the job."

Gally fell silent after that.

I had no idea where all the words were coming from but they just seemed to flow to my mouth.

All the while my brain screamed to shut up and run away.

In the background a flare of crimson and gold magma erupted high into the swirling destroyed sky.

A sight just as horrific as the first time I saw it.

"We _are _animals. We are beasts. But those _creatures. _They will look upon us and tremble." My voice slowly rose as more of them stared at me. "No. By the power of our souls. By the courage of our hearts. They will look upon us and see what we can do!"

My hood shifted in a fresh and harsh warm breeze causing a loose lock of crimson hair to sweep across my eyes.

Screams filled the air behind me and I turned just in time to see two large flamed aura's burst into a dive down towards us. "GET DOWN!" Gally bellowed.

My heart leapt into my chest as I stared up at the flames. Time slowing down almost as my gaze locked onto them.

Flames. That's all they were.

At least the first time.

Now staring at them they changed. Different.

Still like the harpy clawed beasts I had seen when I first opened my eyes, but there was something different to them now. They were less like a cloud of flames and seemed to actually have some kind of shape!

Giant great length of wings, stretching out and bubbling with the power of an inferno. Sharp talons of white hot flames were aimed towards my face. The body was thin and very much human like looking except for the fact that instead of skin. The creature had nothing but a rolling heart of magma. I blinked for a second and rubbed my eyes quickly, staring for a moment as I had almost thought that I had seen a human shaped head on the beast, but it only proved to be my fear. The head was nothing but rolling flames and glowing eyes.

"FOX! WATCH OUT-"

I took a leap back and flipped landing in a crouch as the first one of The Wicked crashed into the ground and smashed apart.

My eyes widened fractionally as I noted that somewhere in the back of my mind, while I brought back my first, just like the day I had first met these bastards.

And just like I had back then, I threw myself towards the flames.

The only thing was, this time when I went to hit them I did not pass through... at first

I did not feel agony.

All I felt was the same pain like that of punching a tree trunk as both I and the creature seemed to come to a mid halt in the air.

My mind screamed out in shock and surprise as my fist felt like I had just punched someone, like I had punched a human! There was pain of being burnt, but no where near as severe as before. I could see the skin on my hands around my brands being turned violently red by the flames but as pain filled my head, anger and blood lust took over.

_Come. With. US._

I watched the golden eyes slowly move across me like I was only a small annoyance... almost like I was a child who wasn't doing what was expected of them. The hungry gaze burnt into me and ran over my marks with a startled confusion before they locked back on the group of boys behind me who had scrambled back.

My mind had still barely registered what had just happened but now anger reined back my sense. My purpose. The reason I had to live any more.

To kill these bastards.

With a loud snarl I shoved my fist deeper into it's chest where I had impacted the first time I had fought them and felt my hand smash through with success.

With a deafening scream in my ear I watched as the flames exploded out and wretch like splutters of rain across the black sand. Coming to a sizzle as hiss before finally vanishing.

Slowly I turned my head over to the others boys and Gally was on me in an instance, bandages out quickly he ran over and checked on my arm. The skin on the inside was now stung and hit by the flames all the way on the inside of my skin. my knuckles and all spaces between my brands were harshly red and scolded. Not as ravaged as the first time but still they stung awfully.

Gally hissed under his breath as he wrapped them quickly around the damaged skin. I hissed slightly as I watched them instantly turn black upon touching the skin. "What the hell?" Gally muttered. "I only washed them in the water a second ago. That's just water, normal water! We drink from it for-"  
"It's nothing." I growled quietly, snatching my arm back from his grip as I was remembering only too fully how the water had run off me like fresh ink when Newt had dressed my burns.

I dreaded what just may be under those bandages now.

Just as I dreaded... had I actually heard a in my head just then? Or had it been some simple trick... like the wind?

Slowly I looked back over to the other kids who had now stepped across the boundary. All their eyes were locked on me as each of them was dressed in armour and held a gun with the points aimed at the ground where the flaming beasts had sunken to nothing but part of the ash which now dissipated into another part of the black beach. Each of their eyes were locked on me.

"Let's go." I stated and turned, starting off in the long direction back towards where my journey had started.

I looked over my shoulder with a slight smile. "Oh and." My face turned hard as a stone, though I guess there was a sparkle in my eye because Jonathan smiled with excitement. "That makes three." I turned and started my way towards the hell zone.

_**-Break-**_

"Gally!" I called out.  
"Got your back." He growled.

The sound of a loud roar, followed by a chitter like whimper followed as I dropped to my knees, while a round of bullet fire coursed over my head, smashing violently into the mouth and face of one of _The Betrayed_. Their glowing crimson like mechanical eyes bore viciously into me as the great beast sprawled back, spiraling over and over into the great torn up ground.

Razor like claws spring out of it's enormous paws as the thing slides slowly to a stop but sends the black debris of rubble around us spraying everywhere.

We hadn't run into trouble from _The Wicked_ much after that first attack. At least, none that I knew of. They could still just as easily be around, spying on us, hidden behind the new black cloud cover which sprang across the endless and broken swirls of a destroyed world.

But then we had come across the buildings. I had been shocked at first, they were the first real concrete structures that I had actually seen since waking up! They were like giant towers. Large gaps where glass had fractured and fallen were evident by the flashes of fire burning along the smaller structures. Lines and spikes of metal girders or other bits of connectors were sticking out here and there. Some of my boys were crouched behind them taking cover and aim now as waiting in the center of all the ruin, was a small clearing where the ground was flat stone instead of sand like dirt and where two large doors were closed tightly with an alarm blaring loudly.

That wasn't including the fifteen or so giant black fur plated and metal exoskeleton wolves with spiked plated tails which apparently now shot fucking javelin spikes, (as I had learn a few seconds after it had seen me and Gally had pulled me back from having my head impaled into a wall). Oh and not to forget the damn glowing crimson eyes which tracked every single movement of _my _boys as they had originally dispersed when the beasts had attacked.

I smirked now as those same eyes looked me over while it's black fur bristled angrily. It's metal, razor like teeth locked on to me hungrily and it's tail looked ready to aim though by the way it was pawing out the ground now, I could guess that the thing was pissed off and wanted to make sure that I suffered a decent amount before I died.

My boys were scouted around me, positioned so that they could cover from the oncoming javelin spikes which seemed to be intent on trying to impale one of us. "Fucking over grown hounds. I'd love nothing more than to put an bullet in one of it's eyes-"  
"Easy!" Gally barked back at me, his eyes livid with fury. "These used to be decent boys. Hunters. People who live on the island! Each of them died trying to save someone from their group or making sure the others lived. They are all decent boys-"

I ducked quickly as a hole made itself in the concrete and the javelin came through just in front of where my face was, between Gally and me.

"With a decent shot." I agreed with my own small snarl. "I'm not losing any of my boys."  
"Well we're about to be-"  
"Give me cover fire."

I looked over as screaming filled the air.

Correction.

Where Jonathan was screaming as one of the overgrown beasts dripped wet green foam from it's hungry mouth as it gnashed it's teeth at the young boy, trying to land a sharp bite to his hand or arm.

Out the corner of my eye, if it had been possible. The over grown mutt was grinning at me. It's crimson eyes glowing brightly while the edges of it's maw was turned up showing the glint of it's teeth. "Five minutes."  
"What is that how long you last?" I teased raising my gun as he mirrored the action.  
"Oh, you will know soon enough."  
"My only interest is how long Newt can go for-"

_HISSSSS_

We both stopped our chatter as we looked where steam was pouring out the cracks between the doors which hammered loudly.

"Jonathan." I stated.  
"Box." He returned.  
"Give them hell." We both smirked viciously.

Gally rolled out from behind the cracked wall we had taken shelter behind and aimed down the scope of his gun. Pulling the trigger tightly the sound of gunfire filled the air as with a flash per second each bullet rapidly left his weapon in a shower of hell fire.

I smirked to myself at that thought.

The creature let out a loud raw and recoiled back from the bullets hiding it's face slightly as it ducked it's head under the crook of it's paw where fresh spikes were growing out from the bones of the strong beast. _Great more violent weapons that this beast can kill me with-  
_"Fox!"  
"Yeah I know!"

I sprinted from the cover as Gally paused his gunfire, locking his eye down the scope of his weapon as the beast lunge but was only sent back to it's defensive state as fresh bullets landed over it. "How's the eye healed up?" I shouted, knowing the chance of it being the same beast as the one that had hunted me the first time.

But when it's eyes blazed more furiously, I had a deep rooted feeling that me and this beast were far more familiar than I actually knew.

By the time I made it over to Jonathan, the boy was frantically kicking and screaming as he smashed his feet into the face of the beast which had trapped him in the crook of a building window, over and over. His eyes were wide and frantic with fear and his gun was not that far away but just enough out of his reach that he couldn't get to it without turning his back on the beast which was going to snap him in a moment's notice.

His armour was torn and shattered in pieces around him.

The moment I got into the building I leveled my gun with a click of loading next to the beast's head, and it froze. It's mouth slightly open as the blur of red against the lens turned to focus on me. "Haven't you boys learnt yet?"

_Click _

The lens glowed brighter like the thing was widening it's eyes, while mine were narrowing. "My name is fox. These boys are my cubs." I pushed the gun tip further against it's head. "And I'm their bloody Queen mate."

_BANG_

The creature slumped to the floor, limp and still as I scrambled over and grabbed Jonathan by the shoulders as he seemed to rapidly be going into shock. His eyes were wide and he seemed to be babbling quietly about having to get away from it. "Hey. Hey!" I shook him slightly till his eyes slid over to me, looking at me as though I was barely anything but just a ghost to him.

I knew that feeling. It's what I had felt after I had been attacked by _The Wicked_.

I waited a moment for him to catch his breath. I could hear the others outside joining Gally in laying down a suppressing fire, that would keeps the wolves back for a bit, but just how long I wasn't sure. I didn't know how many rounds we had. Each bullet could be our last. I may have knew how to fire the weapon, but reloading it, that was just an empty space in the vast blackness of my mind. But still it brought on the wondering: _How did I know how to use that weapon. How did I know what to do? _

All questions for a later time but right now I had to focus!

I smiled as Jonathan finally calmed down slightly. "I need to know. Did it bite you? Did it get you?" I looked him over for any bite marks but when I came to see blood pouring down his leg, my heart felt like it had stopped.  
_CREAK  
CRACK_  
_SMASH_  
_BANG_

My head snapped around quickly as my eyes locked onto the betrayed. It was still there, motionless. "N-No." He spoke up quickly, though now my eyes and senses were distracted. No. Maybe it was just fear making me paranoid. There was plenty of a fight going on outside, plenty of reason as to why there would be such noises.  
"What happened to you-" I went to examine his leg, but as my hand reached out I barely had just any time.

Barely any time to dodge the intense gnash and attempted bite of cold metal fangs that is.

Slowly the head of the creature rose back up as it was regaining it's footing. "T-That's impossible!" I stared in horror. "I shot the bastard in the head-"  
"I fell and my leg got impaled onto metal bar. Shouldn't have been so clumsy. Don't want to die! BYE!" He grabbed my hand and limped for his life as blood poured down his right leg for the deep length of the ravaged armour. My eyes looked nearby to see the metal bark sticking out the doorway exit as he attempted to run.

My heart flooded with relief when I saw blood dripping from it.

_Who says it's his blood? _My thoughts nagged.  
_For once. For once. STOP BEING A CYNICAL BASTARD!_

Oh great. I was arguing with myself again!

I kept my gun raised as the creature raised itself to it's feet. Certainly a lot bigger, angrier, hungrier and by the look of the metal exoskeleton growing over him and his claws sharpening, then growing bigger. I guessed he was a lot stronger too!

"The box." Jonathan whispered as he uncurled his arm from around my shoulder and stared at the space where the beasts had fallen back from and now was opening further and further.  
"GALLY!" I bellowed out.  
"Boys! Try not to pin hole him!"

I paused for a moment with an incredulous look painted across my face, mixed with annoyance. "Thanks!" I called back out, painting my sarcasm for him as much as I could.

Jonathan scrambled for cover next to the other boys as now the beasts were all snarling loudly, trying to edge forward as the doors of the box were wide open, waiting and painted with shadows on the inside. My gun was as good as nearly empty and after unleashing an amount of bullets into the head of one of those beasts and it still not dying. I had no intention in trying to waste any more on killing one when I knew now, that there was something far more important to do.

Throwing myself onto the floor I realized just how bruised and damaged I really was still.

I could feel heavy bruises on my chest where a slab had fallen and hit me in the back, crushing me till Gally had managed to get me uncovered. Lucky it hadn't fallen from a height or I'm sure my spine would have snapped and I would be dead.

Wouldn't Alby have had a laugh at that?

My arm stung with burns. My muscles screamed with exhaustion and my body roared with pains of bruises or where I had been sliced by rogue shots of javelins. Luckily Gally told me the chemical which was able to change people only came from the beast's teeth. That's what that thick green slime was. But still those javelins had enough impact to cause enough damage to slice open our armour.

Keeping my boys alive... I feared at this rate it would cost me my life.

But the fear of my life only came as a worry because I didn't trust them back to Alby.

Forgetting the agony I crawled forward, using my arms to drag my exhausted body as walls collapsed around me. Javelins impaled themselves into the ground next to my body. Occasionally they graced and sliced my side or the edge of my torso. The aim was always knocked off just enough as Gally would scream an order to strike that certain beast.

But still as I made it to the edge of the box, my biceps were bleeding and the edge of a broken javelin had managed to land a slice along the length of the side of my back. "Stupid mutts!" I snarled before tumbling down into the edge of the box and landing in a barely managed crouch as I felt the familiar cold grating of the floor beneath my tips.

Fire flashed over head and in the dim light I managed to catch sight of a figure in the corner who was crushed up against the wall. "Not this again. No. Not this! I thought we were done! I thought it was over!"  
"Hey!" I called out in a soothing tone as I watched the shadows still. I keep my hood up and my face covered by the shadows. The boy didn't need to be scared out of his mind just yet. He was going to see enough horrors in a minute or so if I could get him going soon enough. "Can you come forward? I'm here to help you!" I called out again, watching as the figure was still.  
"Who are you! Who's there!"  
"It's okay private." I crouched and hissed as my arm screamed out in pain.

I barely noticed I had been about to fall forward till the figure shot out the shadows and steadied me.

_Huh? Strange? _I frowned to myself behind the cover of my hood. "You're bleeding?" He whispered, his head turning back up out the box as though for the first time he seemed to be noticing the sound of bullet fire. The roar of fires. The dirt which was being sprawled into the box.  
"Yeah. That seems to happen quite a lot." I growled then quickly softened my tone. "You got a name?"  
"Of course I have a name!" The figure stated as they shifted themselves into the light.

He was good looking I guess. But nothing compared to Newt. He was five foot nine. Had soft hazel like hair though it was now that dark now that it seemed to almost have black like streaks in it. He had a strong looking jaw and was certainly athletically built. A lot like the scouters on the hunts, though he had the strength of the main hunters as well. He was impressive.

He wore a filthy blue shirt and a pair of brown trousers. His shoes were in pieces but that didn't matter. I kept my head turned away to the shadows trying to hide my appearance. "Why are you hiding? Look at me."  
"Get it into your head private, if you want to get out of here alive, without being burnt, without being mauled, without being killed. You will listen. Okay?!" I snapped and watched him recoil back slightly from me. I chided myself and scolded my quick temper. "Look I'm sorry, but we haven't got long and I need to get us back. You're not just the only one here. I have fourteen others to look after as well."  
"W-What?"  
"Welcome to hell. First stop, battle field." I muttered. "You're in the middle of a war zone. Now decide." I reached out, grabbing the nearby bags and throwing them out with the last of my strength in the direction from which I had come.  
"GOT THEM!" Jonathan called back out to me. "We've cleared you a path!"  
"Great." I whispered and collapsed back, taking a few seconds to catch my breath before crouching with the last bag and throwing it on my back. "Stay or don't. I don't care either way." I said gently. "But there's a home out there waiting for you. Trust me and I can get you there."  
"I don't even know your name?" He said as he started moving forward till he was at my side. Crouched and ready to spring out of the box at the moment I did.

I took this as the only: _Okay, I trust you. _That I was going to get.

"My name is Fox." I said turning my gaze back to the ridge of the box, feeling my muscles ready to sing as I would soar. "And yours?"

He whispered something just before we launched out the box and back into the war zone.

But I still managed to make it out.

"My name is Thomas." He had said.


	11. A midsummer nightmare

**Hi everyone. Thank you to everyone who has favourite and followed this story. Thank you also soo much fiercetiger333 for all your lovely reviews =) I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter ^_^ Have a nice day/night wherever you are. Warning: Story contains boyxboy, swearing, scenes of violence and will have it's ratings turned up in the next couple of chapters. **

* * *

The air was heavy and my ears pained by the constant lines of fire as the bullets zoomed past my head. My teeth were gritted tightly and my eyes were studiously watching how _The Betrayed _were nearing closer and closer to the box. Their lens covered eyes sparkled crimson as the glowing red locked onto me and Thomas. "Son of a bitch." I hissed quietly, crying out in pain as one of the spikes zoomed past my shoulder cutting deeply into the skin.

Thomas who seemed lost in this hell zone seemed nothing short of certain as two guns were tossed our way, I smirked as we both caught them and turned together, pulling hard on the trigger and releasing a new wave of bullets on one of the beasts which had tried leaping at us, now the thing went flying to the winds howling in pain as I took a sharper aim. "Go for the eyes! It won't kill them but it will stun them for long enough!"  
"As you say captain." He called back above the bullet storm.

He was too calm. He was way too focused right now. Any one else, at least from the stories I have heard, never acted like this upon awakening. None of them were still this well trained.

_Who the hell is he. _My thoughts nagged as I kept my hood covering my face.

"Potato nose!" I bellowed out, "Start falling back! Get moving!"  
"Seriously!?" Gally called, but obeyed the order as I heard shouts called out to the other kids. All of them shouted back angrily at him refusing to leave without their captain, but I just repeated my order as me and Thomas were edging ourselves back away from the box. I could hear Jonathan screaming for me to come along, the poor little kid. Loyal above everything else, a quality which would take him far, or get him killed out here.

"Thomas get your shucking arse up and start backing away!" I barked, firing only single bullets now to try and preserve as much ammo as possible. I could already feel the cartridge getting ready to empty itself, then god knows what would happen. I was fast but I was still weak. My body was still adapting, the kiss of the wicked hadn't left me without it's own hold backs.

My hand shot to my chest as a sharp pang of pain bellowed out with my heartbeat, the air rushed out of my lungs and for a long moment I found myself struggling to regain it. "Oh no you don't!" I fired off to the side from one of the beasts at it tried to creep around us. "Head for the building!" I shouted, pointing to where they had attacked Jonathan earlier. I could see cracks forming in the walls just where they had smashed through the foundations. The metal structure inside was groaning loudly and I paused for a moment, thinking it through in my head. _We have no other choice._

I slowly turned my gaze over to Thomas who was deep in focus firing bullets at the creatures. "I need you to trust me." I say quietly, just enough so that he can hear me. I turn over and look at him and see he is regarding me, looking me over. Studying me. Evaluating how much my word is worth maybe? I don't know. Either way, It was my job now to get him back alive and that was not going to happen if we stayed here.  
"What have you planned?" Thomas asked.  
"A suicide mission." I grinned.

I turned and darted inside the entry way of the building, bounding directly for the stairs, taking Thomas' hand in mine for a long moment before hearing the first crash. "And." I smirked, "The dog trainer is in!"

The gun became lighter in my hand as I span on the tip of my right foot, feeling the metal of it change and become stronger as the shaped morphed. _What the hell? _I thought in my head, but my body reacted by itself as my bow, '_Crudele' _was now there in my hand with a red tipped arrow drew back as I saw the first beasts barging into the walls, coming in through the only possible entrance now.

With a soft exhale of breath I felt the string free from my tight grasp.

The arrow sailed soundlessly through the air, past a few of the beasts who I guessed had similar reflexes to me by now.

In the slow and long stretching seconds which the arrow launched, all of them barely had a chance to turn their gaze to look at the arrow.

Before the tip hit the last pillar support and it exploding.

"Bulls eye."

Outcries of yelps screamed through the air as many were sent flying and disorientated, but didn't stop in their stampede into the building which now groaned and swayed ever so slightly. "MOVE!" I screamed, turning back to Thomas and ignoring the pain in my heart as I poured on the speed up the steps.

A crazy smile split along my face, hidden by the shadows as I managed to catch up with Thomas, just falling a bit behind his speed. "This is your plan?!" He shouted. "You're crazy!"  
"Which is why I've lived this long!" I snapped back at him then frowned slightly. "You're really fast!" I studied the way that he seemed so completely professional at this... like he himself spent a long time running.

The longer I was looking at this kid, the more I was finding my judgement of him being questioned...

Even if he was a pretty face.

The ground began to become looser under my feet as I felt the whole building beginning to tilt forward. We took sharp corners around each bit of the staircase, having to rebound ourselves off the wall at certain points, the beasts bellow us were already beginning to catch back up with us, bouncing off the shattering windows and copying our footsteps. _They're getting smarter! _My thoughts screamed out, my heart was racing and going wild with pain.

I had that they would chase after us! That had been the essential part of the plan! But I hadn't planned that they be able to do half the stuff that they could do! I didn't know that they could adapt and learn so quickly! They were strong, fast and built for stamina. I just hadn't planned they would be able to recover so quickly had I been able to stun them like that!

_They're going to kill us! _I finally admitted in my thoughts as I stared at one getting ahead of the others, barely within pouncing distance of me and we were still four or five flights of stairs from reaching the top of the building, even after our head start! _No, they will kill me. I can keep them busy long enough for him to keep running and going. He should make it out in time if the rest of my plan is right! _

I reached for a arrow out of the quiver which was now strapped across the back of my armour. _If I'm going to die, I'm at least taking one of you bastards with me._

_Run. _

I nearly tripped over my own feet at that point as the whisper in my head echoed out with a pained pleading. It was so soft but urgent, it was like someone was shouting into the middle of a gale force storm. The sound was lost so easily but it fought to stay and come back strong. _Please! Bloody run! For the love of god, just bloody run! _

My eyes widened fractionally as the voice began to sound familiar. If I could hear it a bit more carefully then... no what the hell was I on about? It must have been a trick! It must have been my mind making up stuff! That must be it.

I snarled quietly and gripped my bow tighter but still poured on the speed till I was just behind Thomas. He was barely breaking a sweat, but I knew this was my max out limit speed. I was fast but only when I was masked by stealth and had one of my plans set with complete certainty! I could still feel the blood pouring down by my calf where a rogue javelin had sliced my skin open, the pain was disorientating but my senses were keeping my alive as they were in overdrive.

I guess Thomas must have seen I was struggling as he shouted for my attention, kept calling out to try and encourage me, but I was still slowing down. "Don't you dare!" Thomas shouted as he saw that more and more distance was being created between us. The Betrayed were just barely missing being able to pounce on me now. "I lost a friend not to long ago, he was the best thing in my life. I will not lose another! I've lost too much already!" He shouted. "Now, RUN!" He screamed.

My eyes widened and my heart screamed in pain, I let out a gasp felling the building finally falling forward.

_Now. Now is the moment! _

"Thomas, jump!"

I launched myself forward, pressing my feet against the wall and into a crouch, like I would do when I was doing laps back and forth in the waterfall pool. But instead of using my full my moment, I used my whole strength to grab Thomas as I launched us backwards out of the roof exit.

A extended claw reached out to rip me open, the glint of it's claws coming to a rest just above my chest as I was spinning through the air wildly, my momentum from both the falling of the building and my own launch having made me lost control, but pushing Thomas away with the last of my strength, sent me spinning head over heel through the air without control while the other boy went flying away in toward what ever else was waiting for us outside.

But there was still one thing left to do.

"Chew on this bone, pup." I snarl as finally the beast saw me when I had righted myself for a few seconds, my body tensed and my eyes narrowed.

The glowing sensors of it's eyes brightened like it was widened it's eyes.

It's maw was still wide open in mid bite to try and get me which just made it easier.

Letting the arrow fly from my bow I watched it sail clear, praying with all of my might that this time my bow didn't fail me.

But the arrow flew true into the creatures mouth and I managed to catch the first few sparks and signs of a fire forming in it's gut before I had to shield my face, when the building came completely crashing down and the creature imploded.

My leg missed being caught by the building by a hairs length and even though I was still spinning wildly, by some mad luck i only watched as the claws scratched angrily down the front of my armour.

Before both the beasts inside the building and the tall mass of steel, bricks and glass went plummeting down and erupted in an explosion erupted from my arrow, sending a array of metal spikes flying everywhere as the creature was splattered to the four winds.

A roar of wails went up and angry paws smashed through the first layers of brick but not through the burning mesh of steel girders which were now their prison.

I smiled to myself slightly the more that my eyes were closing. My head lolled back and my arms fell limp by my side, the only feeling left was my grip around my bow and my stomach and heart in my throat as I felt myself drop quickly, falling faster and faster. I couldn't see how far I was from hitting the ground, how high up had the building been? How fast had we run?

But did it really even matter any more?

My vision went fuzzy and my breath escaped me again. I was still hurtling through the air and down towards what ever was beneath me. I couldn't make sense of it no more, my eyes were too heavy and my heart screamed agony. I was hurtling through the air with no idea any longer of what was left around me. But, I had saved them at least, the others. They were safe from the hoards for now.

They would be back by the coast by now, and the Betrayed wouldn't be getting out of that burning metal prison of the collapsed building for a few days.

_I did it Newt. _I thought gently, though even that action seemed to give me a headache now. _I saved them-  
_"I GOT YOU!"

The feeling of free falling ended with a sharp burst as I felt a pair of arms encircle around me, I blinked just in time to see Thomas skid back slightly through the gravel after having caught me. He had a stern but broad smile across his face as he looked down at me. "It worked." He said incredulously. His brow was dripping sweat slightly, probably from how fast we had run up the building staircase and then the leap itself.

We seemed to have landed on a nearby rooftop, it was a lot more sturdier than the other building, at least we could take a minute or two to regain ourselves.

Thomas however just started laughing and smiled down at me. "Your plan. It actually worked."  
"Fox." I said, holding up my hand. "Captain of the Beta squad, long range shooter and specializes in Traps and stealth attacks." I grinned slightly, but Thomas rose an eyebrow.  
"I see that much." He chuckled then fixed me once again with those serious eyes. "So you planned the building collapsing on them, I get that much. But here's one question? How did you know that we'd get out of there in time and actually find somewhere safe to land should we have actually done so."

I paused for a moment and then watched as his jaw dropped open. "I knew it. You're insane." He scowled.  
"And yet here you are alive." I muttered, patting his back as I staggered to my feet, limping slightly on my damaged leg. "You're welcome." I growled before heading back in the direction we had come from, shouldering my bags as I did so and not looking over my shoulder when I already knew he would come following me.

Mission complete.

_**-Break change to Thomas' POV-**_

"Captain!" A voice screamed as they washed up on the beach of the island.

Thomas looked over to see a small boy with a limp struggle in an attempt of a run over to Fox who hugged the boy tightly.

The strange boy who had saved Thomas' life was still hidden, if not by his armour which had melted away the moment they had crossed into the water, but now by a large white shirt with just as big of an hood. Underneath the boy's torso was covered by a wrapping of bandages which were almost like a vest, most of the bandages were stained red, which instantly came to the smaller boy's attention. "F-Fox!" He trembled.

But the older boy only crouched and whispered comforting words.

Thomas however was still hypnotized by the various spreading brands across the boy's limbs. The outside and along the length of his fore arm, from what he could see; along his torso as well. Even the places where Thomas had seen his calf had been cut. Where ever the lines of the deeply tanned lines were, the skin was undisturbed, seemingly like it hadn't even been cut at all, while on the edge where the boy's peachy tone of skin was, it was still welling blood.

The moment the smaller boy caught Thomas staring, the kid cast him a foul glare. "Eyes back in your head private, before I gouge them out!"  
"Joathan." Fox scolded quietly. "It's okay. He saved my life."

Jonathan however still didn't seem too pleased by the fact that Thomas had been looking at the older boy. Thomas could see the adoration and awe painted in Jonathan's eyes as the smaller boy looked back at Fox. The way that he looked at the boy... it was almost like Jonathan-

"Now, I need to get back to the med nest and get my leg checked out. You know what Blondie is like whenever I get hurt, he won't be happy unless he checks it himself and gives me the all clear."  
"Y-Yes sir." Jonathan frowned slightly and Thomas sighed internally.

After all, he knew what it was like to be in love with someone.

"Potato nose carried on ahead to give news back to the other hunters. Most of the others took off back to their nests in the trees."  
"Can you get the rest of these back to the camp. I trust you above all the others, I know you will do it." Fox must have beamed at him, because Thomas watched Fox turn almost pink with a blush and nod eagerly after Fox rustled his hair affectionately. Jonathan quickly gathered the others of the Omega squad together and began heading into the dense forest of trees.

Then for the first time, Fox lowered his hood and turned to look at Thomas face on making the brunette catch his breath.

Fox's hair- it wasn't like normal hair! Well it was but- his hair was-

"Stared a bit harder, you might actually be able to not offend me." Fox muttered before turning around and limping away up the path.

_HIS HAIR IS BLOOD RED AND SNOW WHITE! _Thomas' thoughts shouted.

Fox pulled his hood back up but it was too late, like the image of Fox's beautiful branded face was permanently imprinted on his mind; his warm and cold hair, cut short at the sides and back, but a fringe of wild spikes at the front. The way that the lines of deeply tanned skin, like those across his body were circled around his eyes and led down around the back of his neck to his spine, chest and the rest of his body. The way that they were like whiskers across his cheek. He was quite beautiful!

But those eyes which looked like they were dripping blood one second and then burning like an open fire the next... they were so cold. So empty, so full of pain. They reminded Thomas of something which he longed to forget.

"Listen... I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend you-"  
"Keep on walking straight for two miles or so! If that means you walk into a few trees! Then so be it!" Fox barked angrily, glaring over his shoulder with crimson eyes, as he shirt billowed out behind him on a breeze revealing his slender and thin form beneath, clad still in blood dripping bandages.

Thomas just sighed and ran a hand through his still soaked hair. "What the hell have I gotten myself into?" He muttered, beginning the long walk through the heavy forest.

Maybe it was because he was so tired, maybe it was because the last hour or so was finally catching up with his body, but he found himself moving unusually slow along the worn down paths through the dirt, following the footprints which had set off this way.

He was more so surprised when out of the trees stepped Jonathan, almost like a ghost as he frowned and looked over Thomas disapprovingly with a deep loathing. His eyes burned with hatred, strong and defiant, protective certainly of Fox, but there being something else there as well as the boy looked like he wanted to do nothing more at that point but punch Thomas square in the jaw. His sapphire eyes were harsh and unforgiving, and his pale cheeks were red with growing indignation. "Captain sent me to make sure that you got to camp safely. He didn't want you to get eaten or anything."

Jonathan looked him up and down. "But then again, even the most starving creatures here have some taste." He turned on the spot and began heading down the path leaving Thomas to stare on with his jaw slightly dropped in surprise by the boy.  
"I get the feeling you really don't like me." He said, making Jonathan snap his head around sharply to give a cold glare.  
"Gee? What gave that away!"

Thomas fell silent for a moment, noting the way the boy was still casting him that loathing look, both incredulous and despising, like he couldn't imagine any reason why his captain would want to help him. But Thomas found himself silently determined to at least get a straight answer why. "Any reason why?" He asked gently, watching the way that Jonathan scoffed but didn't look back at him this time.  
"I saw what happened back in the village. You almost got my captain killed. We have enough trouble being the omega squad. That means we're the bottom of the food chain. We were sent out to find you with the expectation and hope that we wouldn't come back alive, well at least not many of us, if not just captain Fox."

Now Jonathan turned with a glare as his red hair whipped about in the breeze. "And you nearly get my captain killed!"  
"It was his plan!" Thomas defended himself, finding it was strange arguing with such a young boy, and surprised by the fact that he actually found himself offended by the accusation.

He staggered slightly, more out of surprise than anything else after Jonathan had finally punched him and now held his fist, yelping in pain and cursing loudly. "What the hell?" Thomas frowned rubbing his jaw.  
"Those kids that you saw out there today?" Jonathan barked, his eyes wild with anger. "Each of us was sure that today we were going out there to meet our deaths. We were all sent out there with no training, expected to bring you back alive. Either way we looked at it, we all thought we were going to die. If we turned and went back to the island, then we would have been court marshaled... but Fox." Jonathan paused staring off into the trees, a pink colour dusting his cheeks. "He took me off into the forest a week or so ago to train with him. I saw his skill, how he could use a bow! How he could set a trap. But above all else he taught us to have faith in him, he had faith in us and out there today, we should have all died! But he fought with his life and soul!"

Jonathan was shouting now, watching how Thomas had turned his gaze away, unable to hold the other kid's look. "He knew that there was only chance of one death happening during any of his plans, his own. It was the only death he would allow to happen. He wouldn't dare lose one of us. He made a vow and we made ours to stand by him."

Jonathan paused for breath, seething angrily, his eyes narrowed as they stood outside the large creek bordering the camp. "I watched you inside that building, I saw him ready himself to sacrifice his life for you! For you!" Jonathan was livid, spitting the words almost. "Someone he barely had met! And then after everything he did, everything he did to save your pathetic ass! You insult him and then stare at him like he's some freak!"  
"Listen I was just a bit shocked is all-"  
"Screw you." Jonathan barked, turning to leave.  
"But I also understand what it is, how painful that must have been for you."

Jonathan paused for a moment, turning a scolding glare onto Thomas making him fall into an awkward silence. "Yeah. I thought." Jonathan growled before marching away, leaving Thomas stood by himself at the edge of camp, unsure what to do or where to go.

_**-Break-**_

"N-Newt!" Fox cried out, gritting his teeth together tightly.  
"Just hold on in there a bit longer okay?" Newt whispered gently, stroking his fingers across Fox's cheek.  
"I-It hurts!"  
"It will settle, I promise." Newt kept his voice a soft whisper. "Just a bit longer. You're doing so well"  
"I'm not sure I can-"  
"For me." The blonde purred before Fox cried out again. "Careful, you don't want me getting it everywhere-"

"Hey what the hell are you two doing?!" Gally exclaimed as he peeked his head inside the tree hut.

Fox was laid back on Newt bed with his leg raised, Newt had a fresh pair of bandages in his hand and was tightening a hold of the bandages around Fox's calf. The red and white haired boy had a scowl of anger painted onto his face as Newt was sat to the side still cleaning out a lot of the deep cuts which the boy had got on his mission. He had a salve spread across his fingers to deal with some of the burns from the building fire.

Fox glared at Gally, sitting up, his shorts and shirt were still wet from the swim over, but both boys were fully dressed. Newt had a happy yet fond smile across his face and Fox looked ready to commit bloody murder. "U-Uh nothing." Gally blushed, now shuffling his feet awkwardly. "I uh- I just- Never mind, see you at dinner!" He quickly left, leaving both boys to look at each other with a raised eyebrow.  
"What do you think that was about?" Fox frowned.  
"It's Gally." Newt laughed, tying the bandages in a bow and watching Fox blush, though Newt didn't mention anything, he knew that the other like to look nice. "I learnt a long time ago not to question half the things Gally does." Newt grinned, placing a kiss over the bandages and then turning his attention back to Fox as he passionately took the other boy's mouth and writhed their tongues together.

For a long moment both were silent, enjoying the love and the feeling of just being by the other. "You made it back." Newt whispered, placing his hand on Fox's cheek, resting their foreheads against one another's and closing their eyes. "You actually made it back."  
"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Fox teased, smiling as he lent back onto the pillow and felt Newt's arms close around him.  
"Oh bloody shut up." Newt smiled, kissing him again slowly one more time then bring something out of his pocket to Fox's attention.

The red head almost blushed as brightly as his hair when his eyes locked onto the silver clasped leather collar and the wooden carved name of the boy he was in love with. He only blushed brighter when along the side of the leather collar he noticed carved into the material was: _Newt's. _The way that it labelled him as Newt's! Completely.

He'd be a liar if he said that it didn't get his blood pumping.

"O-Oh, wow." Fox blushed, lost for words, but Newt blushed himself, instantly worried that it was too much.  
"You don't have to say anything, right yet! I understand you just got back from your mission but- I was worried that you wouldn't." He held the collar in his hand, avoiding Fox's gaze. "I've been in this position before-"  
"Yes."

Newt's gaze snapped up as he looked at Fox who had a sly smile at the edge of his mouth. "Yes, a thousand times yes and then a thousand more." He whispered softly.  
"Really?"  
"On one condition." Fox whispered softly, leaning his neck forward.  
"Anything!"  
"Just remember this moment, this promise." Fox smiled, then watched as a lone tear streaked down Newt's cheek. "What's wrong?" He asked gently, pulling his arms tighter around Newt's waist as he sat up.  
"I-It's just." The blonde shook his head. "I've been here before. I loved someone before. I thought that I'd lost him before I finally got to tell him that I love him, I thought that he was dead and-"

Newt paused, taking a slight breath.

"Then I never thought that I'd be able to tell Thomas-"

He stopped as he saw Fox freeze. The boy's turquoise eyes went instantly from their summer sky colour to a deep dripping crimson. "What?" Newt asked gently, frowning slightly as he recognized that this only happened when Fox was surprised or angry.  
"No. It's nothing." Fox shook his head, struggling for a smile. "Just a freaky coincidence I guess."

Then he paused as something from earlier clicked in his head, something he had heard Thomas say in the hell zone.

Fox frowned and looked at Newt.

"Brunette." He said suddenly and watched confusion lace Newt's eyes.  
"What?"  
"Thomas." He asked, steely. "Thomas. Brunette."

Now it was Newt's turn to freeze in shock. "H-How."  
"Dark eyes." Fox continued and watched as Newt nodded. "Tall."  
Newt nodded.  
"Strong build."  
Newt Nodded.  
"Great Runner."

The collar fell out of Newt's hands as he stared at Fox who now had his gaze hidden behind his hair.

Newt paused for a moment then reached out to place his hand on Fox's shoulder. "W-wait Cub-"

Fox pulled back violently from the touch and Newt finally caught a glimpse at the pure anger behind the eyes.

_I just saved and brought to the camp the boy Newt used to be together with. _His thoughts whispered.

Then it finally hit him. _The boy that Thomas had said was so important to him in the building... _

Fox remembered the words Thomas had whispered to himself when he thought the branded boy hadn't been listening.

"Cub, please, say something?" He asked quietly at first. Looking at the emptiness in Fox's gaze. "Is Thomas-"  
"Grr, ah!" Fox turned suddenly grabbing his bow and notching an arrow as he half jogged out on his injured leg.  
"Fox!" Newt called out.

But by the time he said: "please wait!" The boy had already fired a rope tired arrow into the stronger branch of the opposite tree and took off sailing down it, through the heavy canvas of leafs.

The collar laid on the bed, forgotten between both boys as Newt stared out the door after the boy who had vanished so quickly.

All he could do was let a tear slowly fall before he fell back onto his bed, unsure what to do.

What messed up situation had he got himself into?


	12. The storm hits

**Hi everyone. Thank you to everyone who has favourite and followed this story. Thank you also soo much Katie 350 and fiercetiger333 for all your lovely reviews =) I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter ^_^ Have a nice day/night wherever you are. Warning: Story contains boyxboy, swearing, scenes of violence and will have it's ratings turned up in the next couple of chapters. **

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Newt wrapped the rope around his hand and dropped through the air like a rock as he sailed down through the Chameleon canvas. His heart beating with a mad and feral wild pace as he did so, adrenaline coursed through him. His heart felt like it could have been in his throat but he knew it wasn't from the rapid pace that he was sailing down the rope to the ground cover of the forest.

The air rushed through his hair like screaming and howling wolves sending the spikes of his fringe flying wildly around him as he stared down at the others who were busying themselves with all little haste they had. Each was shouting and barking out orders as in the distance black and cold grey clouds were surging overhead. Newt however found himself with his spare hand holding it over the spot on his head at first before holding it over his chest. His heart was banging violently against his ribs but he couldn't explain for which reason why.

He knew why _he _was here. He remembered the first moment he had drawn breath here and when with a click of a trigger he had taken his last in a world of horrors. But why was Tommy here?! Why in the world was his Tommy here? What could have happened? That bloody idiot had been one of the strongest of them all! He had been the one Newt had hoped who would have made it out!

He closed his eyes as he hit the barrier of the chameleon canvas and sank through, a spectrum of colors blinding his closed eyelids.

His heart felt as though it was in his throat once more, though he knew that the drop had nothing to do with it.

However as the blond descended, a certain young red head with eyes like living sapphires as lent up against a tree, watching everything unfold out in front of him with a certain and curious wondering.

Around the edges of the camp,builders were scrambling over each other, using giant barriers and gates cultivated from the man fast growing trees which grew across the island as their guards against what they knew were coming with another storm. Each members of the assigned builders worked furiously, swearing under their breaths for the others to move and get out the way, shouting at them to prepare and gather the supplies and to get to higher ground.

The deep creek which had been replied on so heavily before was now dammed and shut of, leaving only a partial fraction of itself, already a surge of water had come and left a deep slash through the ground and the bank of heavy slabs which had kept it stable, it was no longer a creek now but an expanding river. That was what had given them their first clue as to what was awaiting them in but a few hours time.

It seemed strange, they were bracing themselves from something which had brought them the creek anyway.

In one of the earlier months which Jonathan had arrived, there had been nothing moving through the camp. Many of the people around had to walk for a few hours just to be able to get a fresh source of clean water up in the mountains, it had meant that a lot of the time, many of them around the camp went with little water, after all, the dangers out on their own island were still real.

Many suffered from dehydration, heat sickness, sunstroke, many grew ill and that meant more time was spent looking at focusing to getting to water, than it was to getting the hell zone and getting the new arrivals.

That had been all before the great storm.

It had gone on for nearly a month, lightning, thunder, roaring rain. It had never ceased, darkness had painted the sky not even letting a ray of sunshine through. With the exception of the battle which Jonathan had just fought through, it had been one of the most scariest moments of his life... or well at least of what he could remember from it.

The mountain at the other side of the island had nearly split open after the lightning had struck it fourteen times. Jonathan would say that was impossible, but he wasn't sure what was real and what wasn't any more. Reality just seemed a designated concept of expectations. But after the violent strikes, the side of the mountain and the base around it on the nearest side had cracked open, a giant fissure earning it the nickname: Scar Mountain.

After the flooding itself had pulled back and the ground inhabitable again, they had found among other things (the sobering fact that half their camp had been washed away because of the storm), a creek now happily flowed through the camp, weaving through the heart of it and past the trees. It had been a miracle! Everything they had needed in the moment that they had been desperate for it!

A coincidence that Jonathan found himself too skeptical of.

Just as he found himself skeptical looking around the builders after the reaction which had taken place but a few minutes before.

That new idiot Thomas had been looking around, like a helpless dog left without it's hunting partner. He had been wondering around, most of the other campers having abandoned their posts on the ground, pouring supplies into the lifts to the tree tops. The tailors, weapon smiths, half of the builders themselves, already were working on trying to evacuate most of those from the forest floor. The soldiers with Alby and even the Omega squad, all calling out urgently to the others who were now being plucked into the air rapidly in the blink of an eye and ascending to safety.

Gally had been running around, calling out orders as the barriers had been set up, He had been checking all of them were sturdy when upon the shout nearest to Jonathan and Thomas, all of a sudden, both of the two boys, Gally and Thomas had just stopped. Their eyes locked in a horror of each other; studded with to many emotions in their eyes which were rounding quickly on one another. Anger, hatred, sorrow, misery, pain, loss, remembrance, emotions too strong to have to have not known each other.

Gally had gone deathly pale, his eyes wide, his voice failing him. Thomas himself had begun to walk forward but immediately Gally had turned and fled quickly.

_Gally hadn't got chance to see him in the hell zone. _Jonathan thought, lent back against a tree as his eyes moved from the now absolute horror and fear on Thomas' face. _The moron had been covered by the cloak Fox had put on him... then at the beach Gally had left before Fox and Thomas had arrived. _He stared for a long minute, watching the expression across Thomas' face drain with the colour.

Jonathan glared harshly watching Thomas having frozen in his tracks. His chest felt tight and his sapphire eyes were like two weapons. His fist was tightly closed as his body screamed out at him to lunge and hurt this boy. His mind was a roar of anger and not even for the reasons that he himself struggled to understand. But there was something in his mind, something which warned him. Something subconscious, just beneath the scratch and the focus of his memories.

He was just about to lunge when he watched a hooded figure descended from the rope on the trees.

Thomas too turned just in time as his eyes widened, recognizing the shirt. "Newt-"

Jonathan beamed from ear to ear with a malicious smile as Thomas went staggering back, holding his jaw, his eyes rolled slightly almost as though for a moment his whole skull seemed to have rattled. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Fox screamed, holding his fist as he shouted expletives to the sky in a fit of rage. His knuckles seemed to have cracked open from the force that he had punched Thomas and now oozed blood.

Annoyingly the Brunette seemed about just as affected by Fox's punch as he had done with Jonathan's.

But from Jonathan's gaze, he found something quickly put off about Thomas' gaze as the boy was now fully exposed to all of Fox's face once again, getting a longer chance to look at it now. "Y-You?!" Thomas called out, his eyes so wide Jonathan thought they might fall out. Such a deep etched pain was lounged across them.

Jonathan froze.

"I saved your life!" Fox screamed out.

That's when for the first time, Jonathan caught sight of a side of Fox he hadn't seen before. The boy's eyes were hidden by his hood but from the faint sparkle of a pearl droplet which trailed down his cheek and fell to the ground.

A droplet of silver in an ocean but Jonathan found himself seeing it as clear as a ray of sunlight.

All the while Thomas' face looked only etched deeper with pain. Now his head was clear of the daze which always lingered from the air in the hell zone, he was more focused. His sight clear and now it left him agonized.

"Fox!" A voice called out from above as a blonde figure dropped through the cover.  
"Get out of my head!" The boy head his hidden head, looking like someone was attacking him. It was obvious he was in pain by the way his body was being held, he trembled violently and Jonathan turned wide eyed, fighting against his whole self will not to frantically run over and grab Fox.

But then Blondie started getting closer.

Jonathan bit his lip and growled under his breath. _If it isn't bad enough one of you was here! Now two of you!"_

"Fox!" Newt called out, but by the time that the Blonde was jogging over, wincing with the effort as his limp caught up with him, Fox had already whispered something and took off sprinting, with Jonathan quick on his heels.

Thomas once more found all blood drained from his face. His hands trembling violently and his mind shutting down as he felt close to his skull exploding. Fox had left a rough bruise on the side of his jaw and a slight trickle of blood but nothing too harming. Thomas knew that Fox had taken the majority of the pain, but he was so confused.

At least until that blonde angel froze and their gazes met.

Both were complete stood still, staring the other down.

But it was still him. It was still Thomas' Newt and Newt's Tommy.

The blonde wore a brown vest, one he had often worn back in the glade when the sun had been too hot for them. His figure was stronger toned than Thomas remembered. His hair was cut short at the sides and back, but like Fox had a mess of rising fringes at the front. Those soft brown eyes, the deep shade to them, they seemed darker now. But his hair still shined brilliantly gold. Still he was so incredibly beautiful.

Newt was doing his own examination as in that frozen second that both share, he now stared back. Tommy with his hair which looked brown but had new darker edges coming into it, like someone had spilled ink into it lately. Still tall and broad, strong and a steady body. His jaw refusing to bruise although a purple shade was creeping into it. He was wearing the very same outfit that he had worn when he had come out of the box in the maze.

Newt half laughed and half sobbed before he took a sprint forward, Tommy matching the gesture till both boys had arms wrapped around each other. The sounds of screams and shouts going wild around them.

Thomas slid his hand into Newt's hair as both stood on even height and slammed their lips together. Newt melted into the touch like an lump of ice into a boiling lake of water. Both of their eyes closed and both rolled against each other as their torso's grazed each others. A soft whimper purred from their mouths while tears slid down Thomas' cheeks as Newt's arms locked around the back of the other boy's neck and Tommy's arms locked around Newt's waist, holding them together. "This can't be real. This has to be a dream. Just a dream!" Thomas whispered over and over again, simply unable to believe that the comfort in his arms was possible. That the feel of Newt's heart against his was possible.

Let alone the other ghost he had just seen.

It wasn't until the first boom of thunder struck, Newt looked up, realization setting into them, while Tommy's eyes locked onto the spot on Newt's head where the scar of the wound that he inflicted was still painted. "So many questions." Newt murmured quietly, taking Tommy's hand and jogging over to the rope where he had just come from. He didn't seem to notice the sudden struck look of guilt in Thomas' eyes as the boy turned his gaze towards the forest. Newt called out to the others quietly before grabbing a nearby spear and spinning it once in his palm to test the weight, he nodded before gripping it tightly. "I need to make sure Fox is okay."  
"I'm coming with you."  
"Not your best idea Tommy."

Both paused as they looked at each other. So long had passed. So long, for Newt it had felt like an eternity passing. To Thomas, even longer, but still both were as with each other like they had never been apart. "Take the rope, get to higher ground... you arrive and everything is cast into chaos." Newt pushed for a small smile at the edge of his mouth. "Why is it every time we meet, something like this happens."  
"I don't know." Thomas said, hesitating for a second as he looked once more to the trees. "But I'm not leaving you. Not again."  
"Bloody stubborn idiot." Newt murmured though his smile only grew as he linked their hands and both took off down the path in which Fox had Fled.

Neither the look in Thomas' eyes or the kiss had gone amiss from his knowing eyes, now with a grin painted across his face, he vanished into the shadows of the trees.

_**-Break-**_

"FOX! FOX!" Jonathan purred out as he ran through the various giant oaks around him. His leg burned violently from his wound but he was still fast. He may not have been strong like the others, or tall, but he was quiet. Small, quiet and very fast.

Not to forget highly intelligent.

That's why, like Fox, he tended to pride himself on using a dagger. He would often get close to a kill before making the most fatal blow. He was agile, flexible and stubborn.

He blinked a few times as he looked around, the light was fading from the sky above and being replace with an almost pitch black tone. The clouds were refusing light through making the world seem lost in it's midnight tones, even the little light which was left was being easily swallowed up by the trees and the forest. He had to be careful when coming this far out.

The area around the camp wasn't that badly cursed with wild life, mainly because the animals stuck as far away from the edge of the coast as much as possible. But there were more dangers to this island than just the animals. No. There was plenty to fear from this rose of a haven they had taken up a home in. But Jonathan would protect Fox from them. He would make sure that he would get to the boy first and-  
"FOX!? FOX!?"  
_That fucking limp blonde bastard! _Jonathan snarled in his thoughts as his eyes gleamed dangerously. He gritted his head and ducked away as the two boys came into the dim low light of the clearing.

Newt raised a lit torch as he wondered over the large overgrown roots of the mighty trees which threatened to trip him and Thomas up without them taking care in their steps. "How long has it been?" Newt asked quietly, keeping his gaze ahead of him, slightly scared to look back though he couldn't understand just why he did so. "I mean." He adjusted his clothes self consciously as they trudged further and further into deep growing thickness "How long has it been since...". He seemed unable to bring himself to say: _since when I asked you to put a bullet into my head._

Newt brought up a machete to slash at the vines and just as quickly took a slash at any of the disguised serpents which drooped down. "Watch out for those." He said casually as Tommy would stare at him in shock whenever he did that. "A year... I think." Tommy would said quietly, trying to keep pace in Newt's steps as they would come from clearing to clearing, bellowing Fox's name.  
"Listen I'm sorry about Fox... he's just." Newt let out a soft sigh, thinking about how much the boy seemed to have been growing colder and a lot harsher lately.  
"Yeah, I know." Thomas plastered an smile across his face, his eyes sparkled faintly as they walked further and further into the forest. "I guess it must all be a lot to take in."  
Newt rose an eyebrow, quite surprised at how calm Tommy was taking all of this.  
"I guess he just figured it out himself after he saw me." Tommy sighed.  
"Yeah, I guess anyone would take it difficultly to find out that the person they now like used to be in love with someone, especially someone they just saved." Newt sighed quietly.  
"Yeah, I mean, I thought that- Hang on, what?"

Thomas paused and watched Newt look over his shoulder, confusion written across Newt's face as he looked at Thomas' frown. "Fox, we were up in the- oh." Newt felt himself blush brightly.  
"You're with-" Thomas stopped himself for a moment.

Sapphire eyes glinted in the dark watching the momentary hesitation with great glee as they were studying further and further, but still coated with anger and hate at the two boys.

"Fox." Thomas said, turning his gaze away, suddenly casting an angry look down at the ground.  
"Well... we met just over a month or so ago." Newt said quietly, suddenly finding a strange frown on his face as he looked at Tommy. The air suddenly felt very tense as the two didn't look at each other... but the strangest thing was the look in Thomas' eyes.

There wasn't jealousy in it... at least. Not the jealousy that Newt had seen the boy use whenever someone in the glade ever had used to flirt with Newt and Tommy had found out later.

There was something different about it now.

Thomas turned and looked at the ground. "So footsteps, not that far ahead. They're still fresh." Newt said quietly, still looking at that strange look of anger in Thomas' eyes, before the boy stood. "Tommy? What's wrong?"  
"Nothing Newt." The Brunette stated, looking the boy dead in the eyes.

_I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! _Jonathan half screamed with a victorious glee and a loathing, despising anger in his mind. He darted quickly from the edge of the trees. "You're making this so much more easier for me you idiots." He chuckled under his breathe.

"What's that." Thomas frowned, looking around as a strange high pitched whistling sound echoed around them.  
"Just some bleeding birds." Newt muttered, still confused as to how his friend reacted. The small hesitation that Thomas had made. The way that the boy was now heavily tensed. "Wait a minute. If you didn't know that I was with Fox... what did you think that I was on about?"

Tommy stayed silent and both just looked at each other. "Oh. Okay." Newt muttered, finding his own frown now. "So I see over the space of a year, somethings still haven't changed, good old Tommy still keeping his secrets." The blonde muttered, before forging ahead further and further.  
"What was that?" Thomas said suddenly.  
"Well." Newt coughed, still frowning, rounding on his old lover and best friend. "I said: GOOD OLD-" He was cut off after having shouted by Tommy shaking his head.  
"No, I meant. What was-"

That's when Newt heard the sound of hissing above his head.

Just as two arrows sailed through the air and pierced deeply into the head of a long snake which had lunged down to rip both Newt and Thomas' throats open.

Thomas jumped out the way swearing loudly but Newt's eyes were locked onto the forest cover, staring back for a moment as in the dark of the night he saw a shadow move and vanish. "What the hell was that?" Thomas exclaimed.

Newt threw the spear in frustration into the face of the snake, his eyes narrowed with anger. "It means that the next couple of days are going to be quiet."

Thomas watched the pain in Newt's eyes and although his own inner turmoil for what he was feeling, he still walked over and wrapped his arms tightly around the blonde. "It will be okay. I promise." The boy whispered.

Jonathan grinned from ear to ear as he crouched next to Fox, just by the tree, watching as Newt and Thomas were stood together quietly. "I told you!" He whispered, trying to keep his voice calm and soft. "I saw them back in the camp, they were all over each other. Then Newt just went right up and snogged him! Whispering that he was still in love with the boy! Saying that he wished he had never left his arms!" Jonathan purred the words from his sweetly young mouth.

Fox's face was hidden as the first droplets of rain began to come down hard on them. Jonathan just ran a hand through his hair, smirking from ear to ear on his young face as he cuddled up closer to the older boy. "You don't need or deserve someone like that."

Jonathan turned his head slowly so the sapphires of his eyes blazed like jewels. "I know wicked people when I see them... after all."

A slow smile played across his lips as he and Fox turned away from the clearing, heading in the opposite direction of the camp. But still the young boy's voice was so strong and powerfully dark. "I am _Wicked_."

With that, the two boys vanished to the shadows as the storm was finally unleashed.


	13. The great storm- Days of imprisonment

**Hi everyone. Thank you to everyone who has favourite and followed this story. Have a nice day/night wherever you are. Warning: Story contains boyxboy, swearing, scenes of violence and will have it's ratings turned up in the next couple of chapters. This chapter will be just as the chapter title suggests.**

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_**-Day one-**_

Newt sat back in the cover of his own room as he stared out the open doorway where the rain was smashing down mercilessly to the trees like a hail of bullets. His eyes seemed to almost look like they were trying to somehow search out to the forest, like he could actually be able to see the one he was looking for. But all he could see the was the distant strikes of lightning as it struck the ground and the far distant roars of thunder which made even the almighty trees shake.

His room unlike Foxes was a bit more bigger, seeing as he was a higher ranked officer, not a private. It was more of a large hut Newt guessed but he tried to make it as comfortable as it needed to be. A large bed was the most eye catching piece but specifically the way it was made was the most interesting. Newt had made it himself but the bed itself was still connected to the tree. He had come across this part of the tree which was higher up more than most others, but the branches were as strong as steel. The branch itself looked curled and was wide enough to support being a bed frame, so the blonde had only set up supports around it so it could be used like a full bed, added a few comfortable sheets and hey presto! He had a full bed!

The wooden walls were lined with shelves containing jars of various medicines, poisons, venom and bits of canvas paper which were unused, while most of the rest of the room was taken up by the uses of paper. The canvas was rough and looked difficult to draw on, but that hadn't discouraged Newt, only made the challenge more worth while for him.

But either way it was his obligation to remember while they were here what they were up against. That meant a lot of days having to do, map drawings, some holding up sketches of the local wildlife, snakes, carnivorous dears, The Wicked and The Betrayed. Not that he ever got close enough a lot of the time to ever get a decent enough look at them.

Even one by the doorway now which was sketched beautifully to be of Fox with a smile, just like he did whenever they trained together. Newt certainly had the way of an artist, that much was obvious by the way that he had so perfectly captured the boy's face. The spikes of Fox's fringe, the way that he had shadowed the boy's eyes, the various markings and brands across his face.

Even as Newt laid back on his bed with his arms around his Tommy, his eyes were locked onto the picture as they moved from the open doorway to the picture, never letting himself move further than that. "You're so cold." Thomas whispered softly and Newt found himself having to let out a gentle chuckle.  
"I don't feel it any more. You should have felt me when I first arrived." The blonde kept his voice just as quiet, even though he still didn't move his gaze. He knew that Thomas would be looking worried, he always did.

He didn't see however that for the first time when it came to Thomas, he was wrong.

The Brunette was staring just as much as Newt was at the picture of Fox.  
"I was so bad that ice wouldn't melt in my hand." Newt whispered. "But I've been getting stronger. Almost as though what happened before-" He paused, still unable to find himself to say, '_when I died'. _Maybe because it didn't feel like that any more... sure at first it had felt like his body was a prison. Like he couldn't break out of it and was simply stuck in it.

But in the year that had passed, his body had repaired itself, almost like what had happened back with Tommy... like none of that had happened. He felt stronger, just like he had done when he was in the maze, his body fit, his leg still pained by a limp but even that was beginning to fix itself now. He was strong willed in his mind and physically in better condition than he had been in years.

Thomas looked up only to see Newt's sad look as lightning struck and thunder boomed again.

"You should get some rest, not much else to do really while we're trapped up here."  
"I guess you're right." Newt sighed, leaning back into Thomas and closing his eyes as the other boy's blazing warmth enveloped him. _Fox, I just hope you are okay out there._

Newt could still remember that night so clearly, when Fox had come back from the hunt unconscious. Everyone had thought that had been the night that they had become 'mates' but it hadn't. Something better had happened between both of them that night, at least, that's what Fox had told Newt quietly and Newt had felt the same.

It had been the night that Newt had first realized that he had fallen in love with Fox. That for the first night as both of them had held close to each other in bed, they had just laid there, looking into each other's eyes. No longer either of them feeling like they were bound to a prison, but only the opportunity of a future blossoming to both of them.

Two dead corpses finally given a chance again as life was whispered back into their bones.

And all that had made it incomplete, was that in their duo, something had been missing. An empty gap which felt as though it couldn't be complete.

_**-Day two-**_

It wasn't the heavy booming of thunder which had awoken Newt, but only some kind of sense, like his mind had registered something his body just hadn't yet. His eyes blearily opened listening to the heavy down pour of rain, but there was something else, a soft dripping while a heavy crunch of boots stepped carefully over the strong floorboards. "Oh bloody hell, this damn storm! Now we got a shucking leak!" He slowly sat up and began to rub the sleep out of his eyes, waiting for a reply from the boy next to him.

But none came.

"Tommy-"

"Hello Blondie."

Newt froze and stared at the figure stood in the doorway. There he was. Was it him? Actually him? That voice. That soft purring voice.

He turned to look next to him but only saw that he was bare and alone in his own bed, no sign of Tommy or signs that anyone had actually slept in it other than him. But now as the rain sent shivers down his spine, Newt clutched the blankets close to him.

At least until lightning struck again and lit the room so that he could see the white and red haired boy standing with tears in his eyes, his cloaks stuck down to him, drenched while Fox shivered violently with the cold. His face was bloody, like he had been beaten violently, along with the markings of where he had been branded, thick marks of purple stained his softer tones of skin. His lip had split and blood was dripping down the side of his mouth. "You're hurt!" Newt exclaimed, forgetting how strange it seemed that his Tommy had gone and only rushing forward to stand in front of Fox, not even caring he was as bare as the day he was born.

His hands quickly cupped either side of Fox's face as he looked over the deep markings of pain. Fox wouldn't meet his gaze but only kept it turned away out of what seemed like shame, but Newt only leaned forward, placing kisses on the bruises and watching the tears spring fresh from Fox's soft crimson eyes which were slowly turning the same colors of embers in a fire. "I was so scared. I t-thought that." Newt gritted his teeth holding it back but only staring into those eyes as Fox seemed unable to look at him.  
"Cub. Look at me." Newt finally whispered.  
"But Thomas-"  
"Look at me." Newt whispered quietly, watching how Fox reluctantly turned his head. "I love Thomas." The blonde carried on patiently, keeping his voice soft and gently spoken as he watched the pain soar through Fox's eyes. "But I love you, we were so close, so in love before... I woke up here." He stroked his fingers along Fox's cheek. "With all my heart, I love you."

He watched for a moment as Fox seemed to retreat back into his thoughts. He pulled the boy close and felt Fox's hands come to a rest on Newt's exposed chest. His fingers curling tightly, making Newt grin slightly as he felt Fox's fingers subtly explore the feeling of the skin, running over the toning of his strong muscles and his slender form. "You can love more than two people you know."

He slowly curled his finger under Fox's chin and tilted the boy's head up before he closed their lips together.

Immediately it was like the lightning had struck them.

The air charged brilliantly and Fox let out a soft moan.

He paused as all of a sudden there was a warm jolt running through his body and both looked at each other. "Oh, you've done it now." Fox whispered, staring at Newt like he was the sun.

Newt's blood began pumping harder and faster. Something crazy was howling out into his ears as he was pinned back to the wall of his room, kissing the beautiful boy in front of him with more growing hunger. Those lips... that scent, the strange and almost brilliant whispering scent that was radiating from Fox. It was like all that mattered at that moment in time was to have this boy pushed up against him as hard as he could, to have him, whole.

Fox's leg curled around Newt's waist possessively as he tried to pull him to lean in further against him, their mouths now moving almost violently against one another as neither could seem to get enough. To push their bodies together as hard as possible, to be with one another, as something was crying out desperately to be heard inside both of them. Newt's body yearned and ached as something on his calf's and wrists burned with acknowledgment, while he slammed Fox's wrists above his head and pinned them against the wall, making the boy gasp.

Fox threw his head back as a pair of lips began to make their way along his throat and hungrily suck on the skin, biting lightly before making sure that there would be a mark left over him. "D-Damn it." Fox whimpered as he let his eyes roll back, while Newt cunningly went to his work, leaving his mark.

The fire inside of his body was writhing so brilliantly that it felt as though nothing could have put it out. Not the greatest ocean of ice in the world could have dampened this burning heat which was leaving him a writhing and wanton mess, but the drive, the drive inside of Newt was almost making him go insane with lust as he grinned from ear to ear. Teasing the other boy with light touches, long drawn out kisses, light bites and makings of claims to his skin.

"I-I need." Fox barely kept being able to whisper.

But those were finally the words Newt had been waiting to hear.

Fox cried out and sighed softly as Newt's cunning hands ripped open his shirt and shorts, before throwing them onto the ground. "Bed!" The blond demanded and with what felt like the joy of releasing a bit of the pent up energy in his muscles, grabbed the boy by the shoulders before throwing him onto the nearby bed of his room. Grinning from ear to ear as he crouched above the red and white haired boy with his hands on either side of the boy's head, looking down at that beautiful face.

Leaning forward he placed a long drawn out kiss, letting his eyes wonder over the now also exposed body of the red head. "N-Newt." The boy gasped, slowly bringing his head forward till their gazes locked.

The moment they did, all emotion seemed to pass from the boy as Fox's eyes glazed over, his body becoming incredibly tensed.

"Cub?" Newt whispered softly.  
"Wake up." Fox said almost mechanically, something creeping back into his eyes as lightning struck outside.  
"What?" Newt frowned deeply.  
"Newt! WAKE UP!"

Newt blinked a couple of times and quickly found everything around him was gone. There was no red and white haired boy beneath him, he was only staring up at the ceiling off his own room as Thomas shook him slightly. "Oh, hey, you looked like you were having a bad dream. You kept whimpering and-"  
"THOMAS GOD DAMN IT! YOU FUCKING COCKBLOCK!" Newt shouted, blushing bright red before falling back in bed and burying his face in his pillow.

_**-Week two, day five-**_

Thomas stood by the doorway, lent against the entrance as he watched the rain outside, still heavily coming down still. Still lightning and thunder smashed against the green canvas of trees, and still the storm seemed to be raging on as though it had only really just begun to make it's claim over the land.

Thomas was thankful for it though, a year was a long time to catch up with someone... especially if that someone had been your ex who you thought had been killed. Newt was still the same as ever, still as beautiful, still as collected and calm, but most of all, still as hard of a worker, but after last week when Thomas had woken him, both had felt too awkward to talk for a while.

But now the blond was sat at a desk, etching slowly onto a piece of canvas, sketching something that Thomas himself couldn't see as the boy folded his arms and cast his gaze back outside, looking to the far mountain as the river ran wild and free now. Earlier in the last week the creek which he had seen before now was a torrent of a strong rapid river. Most of the lower ground was sealed away from water, Thomas really understood now why everyone had been so urgent to get to the cover of the trees.

But still, looking out at the large huts and houses, the board walks and swings which enabled people to get from one to another, it was amazing to see! A whole colony of them living high above the ground, almost like, they had always meant to have been here.

But like Newt, he felt himself growing more nervous and ever so closer to the edge as each day passed them by. Each day their patience would waver and they found themselves growing more towards the edge of running out the storm to find out what was going on. To go and find what they were looking for.

Both of them would look out to the mountain, the water fall, or any where else, in some vein hope of being able to see what they were both truly looking for. But neither of them ever did. "You been stood there for the last two hours." Newt gritted his teeth, as he sketched ever further. His eyes not leaving the parchment in front of him as Thomas looked over to the blond. "There's nothing to see but, rain, lightning, and thunder." Newt snarled.

Thomas lowered his gaze slightly, but knew not to take offence from Newt's tone. The boy was just worried, Thomas understood that. He knew what it was like to feel that fear.

He felt it just as much as Newt did.

He sighed but Newt just gripped the pencil in his hand so tight that it snapped loudly and the boy swore loudly. "Two weeks! Two whole fucking weeks and still no sign of him. Only more rain! More bloody lightning! More of everything else!" He slammed his fist on his desk and Thomas walked over resting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Getting ourselves upset won't make it change the fact that Fox isn't here. We can only hope-"  
"We?" Newt frowned. "You've only just met him! Why the hell would you be worried Tommy?"

Thomas looked away for a long minute as though he was unsure on what to do, but soon he just let out a sigh and gripped Newt's shoulders a little tighter, the blond having turned his gaze away, ashamed of having snapped at the boy like that. "It's okay." Thomas said gently, "I-I know." He leaned down and placed a kiss gently on Newt's brow, making the blond blush.

That had always used to help Newt calm down whenever he had been flustered. Thomas had been the only one who had known it though at the time, just another reason to remember the bond between both of them.

Newt picked back up his pencil and went back to sketching while Tommy took his position back up like a loyal guard dog by the entrance, watching as three boys on a nearby house laughed together and sat.

Two sat with their feet over the edge while the one in the middle sat with his arms around both of them and kissed both of them, smiling from ear to ear.

Thomas turned his gaze away sadly and back to the sky as the rain just became heavier, his own hope seemingly becoming more frail the longer that he was stood here.

_**-Week 3 day seven/eight time: midnight-**_

Newt glared at the entry way as he could wait no longer, grabbing a bow and quiver of arrows of the wall, he grabbed a fresh shirt and pulled the hood up over his head, whiling moving over to the box which had been dropped off by Alby sometime during the second week, the latest supplies, new stuff from whoever sent up the box, be it weapons, equipment or even just simple clothing and food supplies.

They had managed to break through the storm long enough to get to the hell zone, once again Newt hadn't been on the squad to go and retrieve the new arrival from the box... but it had made no difference. The boy had been massacred and torn away by one of the betrayed according to Alby.

The blond ripped the case of the trunk open and dove his hands in, digging around till he found two black bands and pulled them so they locked over his hand and into his palm, a crimson light glowing on a circle at the top of the band as it signaled to him it was ready.

His brown eyes looked nearly black with exhaustion, but his teeth were gritted with apprehension as he pulled the bow over his shoulder. "That's it! I can't wait no longer!" He snapped furiously, making Thomas jump slightly as the boy looked over at him.  
"Newt?"  
"I'm going out there and I'm finding Fox!"  
"NEWT!"

Thomas threw himself in front of the doorway with his arms spread widely blocking the boy from getting through. "Newt, I know you! I know what you're like! If you go in there, all guns blazing like this, you're going to get yourself killed! You need to think! Focus a bit!"  
"Tommy get out my way, or I swear I will punch you." The blond growled, his eyes ablaze with anger, but Thomas didn't move. He just stayed stood like a rock in the doorway, his own face set with a certainty.  
"Newt, I've only just found you again! I'm not letting you go out there to get yourself killed because you're not thinking clearly!" Thomas held up his hands slightly as he watched Newt's face close down with emotion. "I know, I know how you feel-"  
"HOW! HOW COULD YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL!" Newt bellowed. "HOW THE HELL COULD YOU!? WHAT AREN'T YOU TELLING ME TOMMY!?"  
"You have to have faith in Fox." Thomas gritted his teeth, though it wasn't out of anger, more out of the fact that he was fighting with all his might not to copy Newt and throw himself out of the door after the red and white haired boy. "Fox is strong willed and a survivor, so much more strong willed than you give him credit for. He's a loner. If anyone can survive this storm out there, he can!"  
"Thomas, this is your last warning." Newt growled, his eyes alight now with rage.  
"Newt, you're not thinking right!"  
"Three." Newt began.  
"You have to have faith in him!" Thomas blurted out desperately, his mind full with the fear that if Newt left to go out there now, he would lose the other only person who has ever meant something so completely important to his heart.  
"Two."  
"Please!" Thomas pleaded.  
"One-"  
"NEWT! Trust in Fox!"  
"S-Surp-surprised you both have time to talk about me." A voice gasped pained, and heavily labored with breathing.

Both Thomas and Newt froze, slowly turning as stood there on the platform around Newt's room, in the pouring rain stood the very same boy they had just been on about.

His hair of both shades were plastered down across his face, hiding the look in his eyes from both of them. He was hunched forward slightly, with only his torso wrapped by bandages. Newt's shirt was tied around his waist and the boy's shorts looked incredibly badly torn. Fox's face was covered with bruises and his outstretched hand was the only real thing keeping him stood up as he tried to keep himself stable.

Jonathan was passed out on his back, completely unconscious. Had Fox carried him all this way, in this state?

Fox panted for breath lowering Jonathan to the inside of the room, before finally the boy gasped and he stumbled forward. "Got you!" Thomas called out.  
"F-Fuck you." Fox growled as Thomas wrapped his arms around Fox, holding him tight. Thomas almost flinched at the temperature of Fox's skin, he was freezing cold! His skin was like ice itself and his eyes were painted with pure exhaustion. He had lost a lot of weight since the last time that Thomas had set eyes on him, looking now nothing more than really skin and bones.

Newt was on both of them in an instant, after having put Jonathan on the spare bed in the corner which Thomas had been using to sleep in, he helped Thomas walk the boy over to his desk and sit him down. "Damn it, you're bloody freezing!" He hissed, beginning to take off Fox's outfit, making Thomas blush brightly.  
"It's been a month." Thomas whispered, softly. His eyes stern but completely painted with worry. "Where the hell have you been?! You've been out in this storm all this time?! You're terrified of thunder and lightning! What the hell were you thinking!"

Newt nearly fell over himself as Thomas said that.

Fox even in his weak state looked up with harsh, burning eyes which were full of shock.

"We need to get you warm." Thomas said, not noticing the pure shock in both the other boys. "Come on."

He scooped up Fox easily into his arms as he began to wrap blankets around the boy and carried him over to the bed.

Newt however took the excuse of checking on Jonathan so that Thomas wouldn't see him frown confused.

Newt checked Jonathan over and just like Fox he had a few harsh bruises over his body, some rough looking cuts and gashes which would need cleaning up, but nothing which would cause some real or major worry. He had everything here to deal with them anyway. But still... there was just one thing wrong with this. Wrong with the way that Thomas had been acting.

Because Fox had only ever told one person of his fear of Lightning and Thunder. Even then, Newt had only found out because on that special night, he had laid down with Fox because the boy had been crying in fear, holding himself, trembling and shaking, until Newt had comforted him about it.

Newt was the only person that Fox had told about that fear.

So how did Thomas know, that about a boy he didn't know.

A boy who he looked at like he looked at Newt. Who had been feeling and reacting the same way as Newt.

Thomas was holding a secret back, and that never meant anything good.

_**-Week five, day four-**_

Newt laid in bed with his arms around Fox as the boy was trembling violently. Thomas was sat on his own bed, watching with the two with a pained expression. It had been four days now since Fox had come back to them, all that time he had been like this, unable to break past the freezing cold which had set in his bones, vomiting frequently while Newt just hushed him softly, trying to provide what ever comfort he could. But it wasn't enough.

Luckily Jonathan had been picked up by some of the others in his squad who had taken the unconscious boy back to their home, meaning that Newt could focus a bit more on Fox's health. But Newt truly wasn't the help that the boy needed.

The temperature outside had dropped phenomenally with the storm, there was a thick cold in the air, almost like that of ice. The boy could still hear the storm going on outside, even now after they had boarded up the windows and the doors, even going so far as to make a small fire in the center of the room by using a rock pit. Fox's body wasn't absorbing the warmth like it should. _He's still too knew to this place! His body hasn't recovered like mine has had chance to._

Newt just gently ran his hand through Fox's spikes of hair. "It's okay." He kept saying over and over, wrapping his arms tightly around the boy's waist.

For a long minute he lay there, staring at Fox's face as the boy whimpered and trembled violently. The marks and branding over him seemed darker than before. More prominent and bronzed, while the rest of his skin was sickly pale, like porcelain. He looked like his skin had become snow itself, and from the temperature radiating from his core, it felt like it too. "He's too cold. He's just not warming up." Newt whispered.

He looked over at Thomas who was gritting his teeth with his hands buried in his lap. The boy looked like he was restraining himself with all the will in his body. He looked helpless. Sat there, unable to do anything. Only watching.

Newt still couldn't help but wonder what Tommy wasn't telling him.

But even so, Newt couldn't help but feel sympathy for the other boy. Thomas looked how he had felt for the last month, unable to do anything.

But the strange thing most of all was the fact that Thomas' eyes were so sad, as well as full of frustration and the crazed sense of being helpless. The way that he looked at Newt and Fox... there was such a sadness.

"S-So cold." Fox hissed out, whimpering in his ill state. Newt doubted the boy even knew what he was saying, or whether he was even aware that he was awake.  
"I know Cubbie." Newt coed gently, smitten with the fact that Fox was actually back here.  
"P-Please. Please. Don't leave me. If you've ever been my friend." The boy whispered gently.

Thomas and Newt both did a double take both surprised.

Thomas looked close to tears at hearing that, while Newt himself looked pained.

"Tom."

Newt snapped his head up to look at Thomas after Fox had whispered that. Thomas looked as equally shocked, but the despair which had been in his eyes had momentarily broken.

Newt wrapped his arms tighter around the boy but let out a sigh as he knew what was the right thing to do. Although now this brought up a whole new set of questions for both of them.

Fox trembled closer, resting his back against Newt's chest as the blonde rose the blanket and nudged closer to the edge to make space for Thomas.

Thomas wasted no time.

The moment he laid down, Fox let out a startled gasp and Newt could understand why. Thomas was still new, he had that startling blazing warmth as he laid down and wrapped his arms around both Newt and fox. He was still like a blazing fire.

"D-Damn it Fox, you're freezing." Thomas whispered softly, linking his fingers with Newt as he pulled both of the boy's closer, making Newt even more surprised when Fox buried his head against Thomas' chest, but instead he just carried on hushing the ill boy gently, trying to soothe Fox.

Okay, this was certainly the most weirdest feeling in all that Newt could ever remember. He was holding onto Fox, feeling the boy against his own chest while Tommy kept strong arms wrapped around both of them, making Newt feel secure let alone Fox. Fox had already seemed to have settled and although while he was still trembling faintly, he seemed to have gone off into sleep. "Night Fox." Thomas whispered gently, resting his head against the small red head, hugging both boy's tightly while his fingers linked with Newt and both the blonde and brunette held the bond around the smaller boy. "Good night Newtie." Thomas grinned, leaning over and placing a kiss on the blonde's forehead.  
"Night Tommy." Newt whispered, hiding his bright blush.

Newt could have sworn to himself that he only closed his eyes for a couple of minutes after that but the next time he opened his eyes, he looked over to see a half asleep Thomas who beamed at him, and Fox who had turned during the night and now had his head buried under Newt's, fingers desperately clinging onto both boys. "Morning beautiful." Thomas whispered softly, making sure he was careful not to wake up Fox.

The room was warm and comfortable, no lingered cold touched any of them, but Fox it seem, had become the center of that warmth as he felt now like a miniature sun against both Newt and Thomas. His face was calm and peaceful, so beautiful from the new winter soft tones to the blazing bronze ones. Newt lent their foreheads together, tightening his grip with Thomas' hand as he did so, adjusting himself but finding he had no wish to move. "The rain has become soft, it hasn't stopped but, it's not as bad as before." Thomas said gently.  
"About bloody time." Newt whispered back, turning his head to look at the other boy clearly, now that Fox was sandwiched between them and easily had himself buried into both of their chest, both could now look at each other easily. "He needed warmth, and I couldn't give him that." Newt whispered.  
"We, gave it to him." Thomas frowned, "together."  
"I don't understand this." Newt shook his head. "I don't understand this, not one bit. The way you've been acting, why you won't tell me what ever it is big secret you have which you want to keep hidden from me. Why you looked at Fox like that... like you seem to know him but he doesn't know you!" Newt paused and just let out a yawn as he was still tired. "I ju-just don't understand any of this."

They stayed in silence for a while after that until Newt closed his eyes again and Thomas pulled his two boys close, listening to the way Newt let out a gentle sigh and whisper. Newt pulled himself in closer to both Fox and Thomas, letting out an appreciative sigh at how comfortable he was. Thomas however couldn't stop the smile at the edge of his mouth.

Fox's breathing came out gentle with a soft tune behind it. Thomas just rested his head like Newt's against the smaller boys and enjoyed the happiness he hadn't felt for over a year. "Oh Fox." He said gently, reaching a hand out and brushing it through the deep crimson and white locks. "What happened to you?"

But even his own eyes were too heavy with exhaustion and he sank back into his slumber.

Not knowing the real trouble and his journey with the other two was just about to begin.


	14. The truth comes out

**Hi everyone. Thank you to everyone who has favorite and followed this story. Thanks to ****fiercetiger333 for your review ^_^**** Have a nice day/night wherever you are. Warning: Story contains boyxboy, swearing, scenes of violence and will have it's ratings turned up in the next couple of chapters. This chapter will be just as the chapter title suggests.**

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Newt smiled in his sleep as he felt a soft breeze run over him and brush through his hair which was splayed against a pillow. The air was pleasantly warm and kindled the gnawing and slight numbing away from his skin. His bed was comfortable be he seemed to have kicked his legs free of the blanket somewhere in the middle of the night. His arm reached out to the side to pull Fox and Thomas closer to him but his fingers only curled around open air.

Instantly his eyes shot open and he sat bolt upright in bed, sunlight from outside blared angrily into his eyes making him pause, trying to brush the last of his sleep out of his eyes with his hand. "Fox? Tommy?"  
"I'm here Newt." Thomas said gently.

Thomas was stood by the doorway and the window, watching the forest as he had done for those long weeks when Newt had wanted nothing more than to just be able to hold Fox in his arms and be held by Thomas. Knowing that the two of them were actually safe by his side. He hadn't slept so well in the time that he could remember. It had felt just so perfectly right.

But now it was like lightning had sparked through him and he was instantly on alert again. His heart beating fast while his mind was trying to regain itself from it's deep slumber. His eyes ran over Thomas' bare torso as the boy was in nothing more than a pair of tight trousers which he must have gotten out of the supplies crate. Thomas' body was as sculpted as ever. Strong muscles, more tones than Newt's slender one. His hair shined hazel nut brown in the morning light but the boy's eyes were still steeped with lack of sleep. "What are you doing up so bleeding early Tommy?" Newt murmured, trying not to look like he was going mad with worry when he already was.  
"He wasn't here when I woke up either." Thomas said and Newt sighed. He should've known by now that as well as he may be able to hide his thoughts from everybody else, he just couldn't with Thomas.

But Thomas always seemed to find more than easy to be able to hold something back from him.

Newt groaned and pushed both of his palms against his forehead, before hauling himself out of bed. "Right I'm going out to go and find him-"  
"Newt. What happened to him."

The blonde said nothing at first, only pulling on a vest and a new shirt, then sorting the rest of himself out as he reached under his pillow and pulled out a thin metal cylinder and hooked it into his belt. "He's taken some of the supplies from the crate." Newt frowned, noticing the bands he had wrapped around his hands yesterday were now missing along with a few more items from inside the crate. "Crudele is gone too." He growled.

Now it was Thomas' turn to look like lightning had exploded through him as the boy gripped onto the ledge of the window tightly. A flash of pale realization slipped through his face. "He doesn't want to be followed. By either of us." Thomas said gently. "Seems he took some clothing with him and some food, so at least he won't starve. Plus with black thorn-" Thomas stopped himself for a moment. "Crudele. Then he will have some defense. That's all that boy needs."  
"Enough now." Newt frowned, so he was under Thomas' gaze. "You're holding something back, something that you don't want me to know! The first time I've seen you shucking smile was when we were all laid down last night! I remember you Thomas-"

The Brunette grimaced slightly at Newt using his full name.

"I remember how you was with Gally, whenever that klunk face was horrible to you, you couldn't let it go. I saw Fox punch you, square in the face. Gally did far less than that before you had decided you hated him." Newt continued, his words like a freight train picking up speed. "You didn't look angry. You looked sad. Sad Tommy."  
"It's complicated."  
"Well, it must be... if you won't even tell me about it-"  
"Newt, I have to be careful." Thomas finally turned, his eyes becoming harder than stone itself. Suddenly his aura becoming dominating as the whole atmosphere around them seemed to change in an instance.

However Newt didn't back down.

"I have to be careful, what I say, and when I say it. I remember, just as much as you why I'm here." Newt turned his gaze away, "I remember how I got here and I know that you tried to keep it secret but it's pretty hard to forget..." Thomas paused for a moment, his gaze becoming distant. "But Newt, it doesn't change that you have to accept that I can't tell you, and you have to trust me."

Newt looked away for a minute before Thomas just rested his hands on the blonde's shoulders. "Trust me. If you've ever loved me, trust me."

The blond just stared with shock and wide eyes as Thomas let his voice become a soft whisper. "Please, Newtie. Please?"

Newt fell into a shocked silence, finding his words were locked away inside of him while the memory of what those words meant to him, flashed through his mind dominantly. It shook him, sending and ice cold up his spine and through his very being.

He barely heard himself whisper: "Okay, Tommy." Before he was pulled into a strong hug, feeling some warmth come back into him, the same warmth he had begun to feel last night when the three of them had been pushed together... but now it only felt incomplete.

But that's when he locked his eyes onto the arrow stuck into the wall, slashed through the sketch of Fox and with a leather collar hanging from it. The blonde reached out to touch it and saw splashed of marks over the sketching of the paper where the arrow was stuck. _Tears. _He thought, then looked at the collar. The one he had given to Fox as a symbol that they were going to be mates, bonded body, mind and soul.

"Now why don't you tell me what happened to Fox when he first arrived here... what changed him?"  
"Well it all began when my squad was sent out to get him..."

By the time Newt had finished telling Thomas about what had happened since fox arrived, the sun had already risen high into the sky, almost reaching it's peak. Thomas had taken a seat on his bed and had his fists closed so tightly that they had turned white, his knuckles shining because of his tight grip. His eyes were hidden from Newt so the blonde couldn't see the intense burning anger. "We should head out and check out the damage. Plus I guess, we should get you reassigned for duty."  
"Then we're going to find Fox?" Thomas growled, eyeing up Fox's warning for them not to come after him.  
"Oh certainly." Newt nodded leaving the room. "When... you're ready." Newt said gently. "I'll meet you at the drop." He offered one last smile before leaving.

Thomas waited till the last sign of glinting blond hair was out of his visual range, before he walked over to the wall and punched it, holding himself back from putting a hole through it, but just enough that he could vent some of the anger screaming inside his body. Fox had no memories, he couldn't remember. Now the boy was effectively broken in some ways of his mind.

Thomas shook his head and gritted his teeth.

He wasn't going to lose Newt or Fox... not again.

_**-Break-**_

Thomas wiped his brow as it felt like he was sat in the heart of an volcano. He had abandoned his shirt and trousers in favour of a vest and shorts. His shoes had been torn into pieces meaning that right now he was barefoot. The sun was scorching hot, burning down onto the vast earth without mercy. The air was heavy and deeply humid, Thomas was thankful that he had a strong stamina, because they already had been walking through the forest for over at least nearly an hour, and from stepping and tripping onto the rock hard soil of the ground and being tripped up by the heavy tree roots which protruded out, like almost as though they wanted to wrap around Thomas leg.

He thought that the ground would at least be soft after so much rainfall... but no luck. He would have had better luck falling on bricks.

Newt just smiled and held out a hand to help him back up after looking at the boy, with smitten adoration. "How is it that you and Minho actually managed to run through the maze like you did? You can barely stop yourself from falling on your arse out here!"  
"The maze had a smooth ground." Thomas said, glaring at the large tendrils of tree roots. "We didn't have to deal with all of-"

He paused as Newt slashed out his weapon in the air above Thomas, watching as the head of a snake came clean off it's body and dropped onto the ground next to the brunette who stared stunned. "I think I prefer the grievers." Thomas said quietly and Newt laughed.  
_"Looks like runner boy finally found some balls to speak to the blonde slut._ _Then the brown haired slag, not happy enough with one to hold. As mysterious as the growing rose. Thorns and all._"

Both paused as the cold grating laugh echoed around them. A cold harsh metallic voice. Obviously that of a boy but still it was distorted, cold, harsh, full of anger and loathing but still eloquently powerful.

"Blond slut!?" Newt bellowed, his eyes ablaze with anger.  
"Brown haired slag!" Thomas snapped angrily.

Both went back to back, their hands slowly moving towards their weapons. _"Be careful where you step. The crimson spider sets his web of traps well around here."  
_"Come out! Show your face!" Thomas snapped angrily.  
_"The Omega's do not take orders from you any more. Only the Alpha, the Spider, the hunter." _The metalic voice purred affectionately as it reeled off the titles. The adoration was as clear as a blue sky in the voice. _"Turn away and walk back you pieces of shit. Or I will kill you myself!"  
_"The Omegas?" Newt called out to the tree covers. Already it seemed like everything around them was getting darker, like night had suddenly come down on them with a thunder roar. The light became bleak till it was barely but a harsh spotlight over him and Thomas.

Both boys felt their hearts roaring as they unsheathed their weapons, keeping them hidden behind their backs. Newt could feel Thomas' heart beat trying to stay calm. "The Omegas were pushed out into the hell zone. I understand, but segregating yourself from the rest of the group is ridiculous!"  
_"And yet, I can now kill you at my leisure." _It purred.

Like a flash in the dark, suddenly the shadowed figures each armed with glinting daggers and weapons, ready to spring from the shadows at any moment. "I see the puppets." Thomas barked. "But where's the puppeteer."

There was a slight creek as above them a shadow launched and landed onto a branch, their sapphire eyes alight with a burning hatred and dark excitement. _"Right here, pretty boy." _The voice purred.

Newt and Thomas stared slightly shocked at the boy and what he was wearing: locking their eyes onto the black and sapphire scarfed figure who was lent back in their crouch, arms crossed over their slender body and their face hidden. Not one ounce of skin showed through on the figure's body. Their hands were clad with bandages which were expertly wrapped around their fingers individually and up to the figure's shoulder.

Their torso was wrapped in a tight vest which almost looked like armour. The material, like the tight jeans which were skinny fit around the figure's leg, resembled the texture of leather, but seemed to move and adapt according to the boy's position, and he seemed more than comfortable, but moving down the shoulders and along the waist, embedded were flows of energy which glowed venom green. An internal network of channels moving through the material to what? Distribute medicine? To work technology hidden away in the fabric? Both boys weren't sure, but they were surprised when they saw the figure was wearing heavy and long length boots on their skinny and rather bony legs.

But the greatest surprise came last as they turned their eyes up to the hooded boy, staring as for the first time they caught an ounce of skin around hateful sapphire eyes. _"Surprised? Omega's found those supplies, it's only right that we get the best of it." _It purred through the black mask which was clasped tightly around their face, from the top of their nose and down around their neck. The mouth of the black was black though it had barred canine teeth like that of a wolf. The cold mechanical chuckle which came from it made chills go through Newt's bones.

Thomas just stared as the mask worked, letting loose a whisper of steam every minute or so.

"Jonathan?" Newt said, frowning, watching how the boy looked between Thomas, him and Newt could hear the excited smirk behind the mask's quiet whisper. "What are you doing?! Omega squad are needed back at camp! We need you-"  
_"We're our own pack now. We chose our leader, even though he does not accept the title he accepts the role! A leader who led us through the hell zone, who kept us alive. Who kept us safe!" _

Newt slowly was catching onto the deep admiration in the boy's voice. "Jonathan. It's not going to happen." He snapped angrily, grabbing the cylinder in his belt and running his finger over the single button but not pushing it.

Not yet anyway.

the fourteen year old hiding behind the mask grinned from ear to ear behind his metal canine teeth. His sapphire eyes sparkled in the dark of the forest now. Slowly he rose his hand into the air and those around the clearing began to crouch, ready to leap and kill at the order. _"I am appointed second in command here among the Omegas! Now I can rid of you too shits!"  
_"So you can have Fox all to yourself."

Everyone paused, staring at Thomas with wide eyes as Jonathan was left speechless. The boy nearly lost his balance in his crouch, but now his eyes burned with a loathing like no other. "You want me and Newt out the way because you know that without us around, you can weasel your into his heart." Thomas smirked watching Jonathan begin to heave with anger as the steam poured out of his mask in great and constant clouds. "But guess what? Even dead, me and Newt are still together. Even dead, I will fight for Fox. For as long as I breathe! I will hold him and Newt in my arms, I will have them both. And guess what little boy! YOU WILL HAVE NOTHING!" Thomas screamed in rage.

Newt stared with wide eyes, he had never seen Thomas so fired up, so angry, so ready for a fight.

_"You so of a bitch!" _Jonathan screamed in his metallic voice of rage.  
"But you still just have only one problem to over come. One thing that you will never get through. Newt met him here and they fell in love." He smirked. "But I fell in love with both of them long before then."  
_"What?!" _Jonathan squealed, horrified.  
"I've known fox for the last year." Thomas smirked.

Jonathan seethed rapidly while Newt was wide eyed in shock.

"And I can tell you definitely little boy." Thomas smirked. "He will never be interested in you-"  
_"KILL THEM!" _

As the figures began to launch forward they were halted as a harsh breeze swirled through the clearing.

One boy who had thrown his knife watched as an black arrow sailed cleanly through the air hitting the blade off course and they fly towards the gap between Newt and Thomas' heads.

Both had to stop themselves from flinching as the arrow cut loose a small lock of hair from both of them before embedding itself deeply into the tree behind them.

_"You're lucky." _Jonathan snarled behind his mask, though now his loathing seemed to have no end. _"It will only be a matter of time-"_

He fell silent as his arms were strapped to his side and his feet pulled together. "What?" Newt frowned before he watched something glint in the light as the ground around them shifted. Thin wires, like silk of a web but strong as steel rose into a large wire nest and net, most of those in the trees who were ready to jump, found themselves wrapped tightly in it. "It's Fox." Newt said when Thomas looked around surprised. He grinned remembering the first thing Fox had told him when training-  
"Always have a back up plan." Thomas whispered, finishing Newt's thought.

Thomas was beaming from ear to ear, trying not to laugh as he watched some of the soldiers struggle, calling out to be released. Jonathan looked over his shoulder with sad eyes before turning a glare back on the two boys who he had nearly executed. "But still Thomas couldn't help himself. "Omega squad will still work with the main camp." Newt said before turning his eyes around to the tree cover. "Fox! I know you're out there. Please. Just come and talk to us!"  
_"Good luck with that one." _Jonathan bellowed with laughter as all of a sudden, just like puppets on strings, the soldiers were yanked back into the cover of the trees, and the canvas of leafs above them opened back up, letting sunlight pour back in.

Thomas grinned from ear to ear. "He may have lost his memories, but I guess some things just don't change."  
"Answers!" Newt snapped, suddenly turning on him with a glare and curled fists. "You answer me right now, how the hell do you know Fox!" He shouted.

Thomas looked at the boy and let out a quiet sigh.

Well... it was bound to have come out sooner or later.

"Fine. It all started not long after you..." Thomas rubbed the back of his neck.  
"I died. Yes." Newt growled. "Same as you, now tell me the bloody story or so help me Tommy."  
"Okay! Okay!" Thomas held his hands up. "It was after we were told we would finally be escaping..." Thomas slowly turned to look at the boy he loved. "But we hadn't. We had only just begun to fight. You see... I won't tell you it all for now, but I will tell you how I came to meet him. Again, we thought we were all secure, but..." Thomas paused taking a deep breath. "They had found us."

_**-A year ago, out of the hell zone-**_

It was supposed to have been paradise.

It was supposed to have been a place for them to live. Somewhere for them to be happy, to escape the hell which they had been living through. For a while it had been just that. They had escaped, they were the solution to the problem. To live out their days peacefully! To live in homes, to start up a family! To be normal! To repair a world which had otherwise gone to hell and torn itself to pieces in the process!

But then Thomas had watched the walls burn.

In fire and ash they blew through the wind like it was nothing, eradicating anything that dared could have kept them up. He had tried calling out to the others but the flames themselves. It was like they were alive! Drawing lines in the ground separating everyone from each other. The glow of orange lit Thomas' eyes as the paradise around him was going down further and further in flames.

The homes they built were turning into ash.

The hopes they had made were crumbling into nothing.

But it was good then that Thomas had made no new hope in this place.

But among the fire there was something else. Like thunder, quick, without mercy or hesitation.

His shirt had been seared away when a rogue flame lashed out and licked along his chest, turning the blue material black and instantly spreading with an unnatural ferocity. He scrambled frantically to pull it off as it ate at his skin painfully. "What the hell is going on?!" He bellowed out, but the only sound was of the fires roaring louder as they seemed to link over head of him, drawing away the oxygen faster and faster.

_A prison, they're going to suffocate me! _His thoughts bellowed out, but all he could do was fall to his knees in the ground as the flames crept closer and closer, their heat blistering his skin as they seemed to be growing ever so hotter.

What was going on? What had happened? Who was attacking?! This was supposed to be their escape from hell... but he should have known better by now. Everything had been taken away from him, his mind, his memory, his hope and the most precious thing of all. The only thing he had ever truly had or loved. The only one person he had ever wanted to be with.

Newt. They had taken Newt from him.

But lately he had started giving up anyway. He had distanced himself from the others. They had tried everything to bring something back to him, but he had just been a corpse walking. He hadn't eaten. He hadn't slept. He had just sat there most days, staring at the walls which now distanced him from the hell of his past, but just reminded him too much of it as well. Every time he closed his eyes he would see golden blonde hair. Soft puppy dog brown eyes. A smile of a soft face as the boy of his dreams limped towards him.

When he slept all he heard was the sound of the gun firing in his hand.

When his eyes opened he still saw the blood and Newt's dead body.

He wondered if this is what it was like to be cursed.

But now as the fires were caving in around him, he didn't care.

Let the fires burn him. Let him become more ash on the ground.

At least then he would see his blonde angel again. He would see Newt and they would finally be together once more.

He slowly raised his vision to watch as it seemed like the flames were reaching out hands to grab him. Blazing eyes looked at him hungrily as those outreached flickering hands looked ready to devour him whole. _Newt_

He stared on for a long minute as the flames were barely a few inches from plunging into his eyes.

_Here I come baby._

**_THUD_**

Thomas paused watching as the flames backed up, writhing, holding the gap to the middle of their chest. Thomas shook his head, he must really be going insane. The flames looked and sounded like they were screaming out as more arrows followed, making the fire flail as the gaps widened till Thomas stared with wide eyes, watching the fire part like it had suddenly been struck violently and doused with water.

A black cloaked figure slid through the ground, and came to a crouched halt, their cloak billowing out behind them and rising and falling, like an enormous pair of wings as behind them a beam light lit them up. "Son of a bitch!" The voice snarled, hitting the ground in a crouch as the sound of bullet fire followed over their head, bringing enough sense to Thomas that the boy managed to dodge and hit the floor.

The boy turned slowly pulling out an gun and curling one hand around the handle and his finger to the trigger as it unleashed a deafening array of bullets through the fires, followed by the screams. "What the hell is going on!?" The figure shouted, for a moment pressing one hand to their ear. "We have an incursion. I repeat we have an- Son of a bitch! They killed them all!" The figure screamed, going down onto one knee and pulling the trigger tightly again, unleashing a new wave of bullets before they turned. "Keep your mouth shut and come with me."

But Thomas was as he had always been lately, his body slow and sluggish, his mind not caring but only secretly hoping one bullet would find him and put him out of what ever little life he had been holding onto.

But it seemed the only one who was hurt by bullets was the cloaked boy as one hit his arm and he screamed out. "Damn it! Move kid!" He screamed, but Thomas just stared on, uncomprehendingly, unsure what to do. His mind and body were at war with each other. When one came up with a way forward, the other came and destroyed that thought making him stick like some kind of corpse.

But it quickly changed when one ember of the fire prison, which had dispersed when the boy had shot an arrow through the flames, now ignited in full force and without mercy. A long clawed hand of flames reaching out to Thomas and the cloaked boy.

Thomas bit back a scream and arched his back as it felt like suddenly fire exploded through his leg, the burns spreading under the skin than rather over it. _"ID COLLECTED!" _A strange noise hissed around them. _"TAG AND-"_ He could hear the other boy snarling in pain himself, and Thomas barely managed to catch the glint of an burning green light before the masked boy pulled his hand back and flexed his fingers, unleashing a round of black bullets into the flames head, which screamed upon dissipating.

The boy looked at his hand where it had been mauled by the fire. Luckily it was gloved so it wasn't too badly damaged. But Thomas just writhed on the ground while the boy tested his hand, closing it into a tight fist and letting out a small sigh. "There." He stated, before going back to taking the position of guard he was on before. Now the bullets were no longer being fired at them, but they were still close. Close enough that if Thomas stood, he knew he would be shot. "Just have to stay quiet. They're here looking for someone. Someone important. If we stay down and keep quiet they won't notice us in the dark-" The boy paused, holding his own breath as one soldier was coming near.

He moved mechanically the man did. Holding his gun to his chest and taking each step with a limp while blood poured down his arms and leg. "It's them!" The boy said under the tiniest bit of his breath. Keeping an arm on Thomas' back to keep their bodies as closely pressed to the ground as possible.

Thomas' heart was in his throat, just as he guessed the boy's was. In a matter of moment these men, whoever they are, what ever they were. They had breached the walls of their home with fury and without mercy. They were on a mission and it was quite clear that they didn't care about who got in the way. _"Identified Gally." _The soldier suddenly said, turning back towards the opposite direction where two soldiers were carrying the struggling boy between them. _"Subject confirmed." _The soldier said again slowly, looking Gally up and down for a long minute before the boy was shoved to his knees and a gun shoved in his mouth. _"Objective three." _

The other two guards lined up their guns to face Gally's back.

_"Destroyed."_

The guns went of blazing and blood went flying, splaying the grass and the fires in the distance. Gally's screams were lost in a split second of a gargle as with his body all but putting holes through his torso. Only the one gun in his throat didn't fire as the soldier pulled it back as though just remembering something. _"Find other must be recovered." _The soldier snapped before they dispersed, leaving Thomas and the boy in the darkness as they let out small gasps of breath.

Thomas still couldn't get a look at the boy's face, the hood of his cloak hid him too well, "Now we will have to wait till we find shelter for me to have to deal with the rest of your wounds. Now do me a favour. Shut up and fall in line." The figure hissed, then paused as Thomas slowly began to push himself to his knees. "Wait. What the hell are you doing you bloody idiot!"  
"I'm coming Newt." Thomas said gently but the boy had already grabbed his arms trying to pull him back. The boy wasn't that strong physically, but he was fast. He was already trying to push Thomas back down before the boy had even realized what he was doing.

"Listen." The boy said calmly, "I don't know who you are, or what even your problem is, but-" Something nearby clicked loudly, resembling the sound of a gun being reloaded. The distant shadow like figures of soldiers were closing in. "Damn it, I haven't got time for this!"

Thomas fell silent as a pain banged against his head sharply.

The last thing he saw before falling unconscious was the shadow of the other boy as he rose to his feet, the boy's heavy knee high boots crunching against the shingle and gravel of the rocky floor beneath them, now that their walls littered the ground, the grass was tainted crimson and lost beneath the rubble. Dropping the rock he must have hit Thomas with. "I told you. Shut up." He said. "I've just lost everyone... I'm not losing you too."

"D-Damn it." Thomas whispered quietly as everything went black.

_**-Present Day-**_

Newt stared at Thomas with a frown. "You were attacked?" He asked quietly. They had begun stepping over the various wire traps which now lined most of their forest pathway. Something told Newt that Fox had let them get off with getting out of his trap once. While he was going through whatever he was going through, something told the blonde that Fox wouldn't let them go again. "Who by?!"  
"I don't remember all of it yet." Thomas sighed, frowning slightly. "Some of it is still really hazy..."  
"Yeah." Newt rubbed the back of his neck. "I keep forgetting you've only barely spent a month here." He sighed before looking back over at Thomas. "So Fox saved you that day? The boy in the cloak I mean? That was Fox?""  
"I guess, you will just have to wait for the next part of the story." Thomas pushed a smile though Newt rose an eyebrow. "Don't worry, just be a bit patient."  
"I just waited five weeks to find the boy I love. Just to have him ripped away again when I finally felt the three of us-"

Newt froze and clamped his mouth shut, staying silent after that.

"I know." Thomas sighed, clapping Newt on the back gently and hugging the boy and letting out a soft sigh.

He didn't catch the sight of sapphire eyes watching him from the shadows before the shadowed figure darted away, grinning as they had collected a whole new range of information as a weapon.


	15. Tell me a story Tommy

**Hi everyone. Thank you to everyone who has favorite and followed this story. Thanks to all the reviews! I'm glad you are getting into the story Ruby! I may be able to grant that wish, I may not =3 Guess you will have to wait and see!**** ^_^**** Have a nice day/night wherever you are. Warning: Story contains boyxboy, swearing, scenes of violence and will have it's ratings turned up in the next couple of chapters. Just a question, I was trying to think of a ship name for the three boys. Any suggestions? =3**

* * *

Newt tapped his foot, glaring across at the tree opposite him as his thoughts were clouding and running through his head wildly. "Jonathan, that little prick." He snarled, his eyes livid with the anger which swirled inside of him violently. His fists were curled tight while he paced his steps back and forth, his hair was a mess and blowing against the cold breeze which had swept over the camp, Newt was pretty sure that winter wasn't that far away and that meant snow.  
"I know." Thomas sighed.  
"He planned this! He planned all of this!" Newt shouted. "He wants Fox. He's trying to turn Fox against us two! I know that little shit! He's possessive. Always has been since he came into the camp! He looks all innocent but he is dark Tommy. He is going to try and turn Fox against us!"

Thomas was sat against the tree where Newt and Fox had spent most of their free time hanging out. The apples had already grown back in a hurry and looked more delicious than ever. The boy's face bathed in the sunlight but he himself was deep in thought, one arm wrapped around his legs and resting his chin on his knees. His dark eyes seemed so tired most days now, his appearance beginning to catch up with how he felt. "I guess even dead, we don't get no rest huh?" Thomas tried to chuckle softly but only earned a dark look from Newt.  
"You should have told me that you knew Fox. That you both were-"  
"Would it matter anyway?" Thomas said coldly.  
"It would! It would have given me a chance to... think certain things over." Newt blushed, turning his gaze away from the other boy as a shiver ran through both of them. "Tell me a bit more then." The blond demanded. "I want to know."  
"About what?"  
"You was _WICKED_." Newt said quietly, his eyes moving away from Thomas as he said it out loud. "You must know something about what was going to happen to you, or more about Fox, if he was part of the experiment-"  
"But he wasn't. At least, not ours." Thomas said bitterly. "I can only tell you what I know."  
"Then tell me, instead of keeping it a shucking secret!"

Newt sighed knowing how much his Tommy always hated it whenever they brought up _WICKED _or anything about the time that Thomas had spent being part of them. But there had to be more stuff that Thomas wasn't telling him. But now, things had been looking so brilliant. Things had been beginning to turn up for them, potential coming through to show him a future he may never have even considered!

Still... he had so much to think about.

Thomas however just turned his distant gaze even further away from Newt as the sun fled behind the dark clouds above and the first flakes of snow began to filter down to the earth bellow. "Fine. Time for the next part of the story then." Thomas said, his voice growing fonder and yet more pained as his mind rolled back. "So, we had just gotten to the cave. Fox had saved me from the assault by _WICKED. _I didn't know what had happened to the others... to be honest, I'm not sure I had ever really wanted to know." Thomas paused. "I was out for a couple of days after that, apparently I had taken a few harsh hits. When I did finally wake up... the masked boy came back from the Scorch-"

_**-Flash back-**_

Thomas held his knees close to himself as the only sound in the dark cave was the persistent dripping sound of water from stalagmites. The rocks around him were becoming to feel more and more like a circular jail, the only light and warmth left for him was the fire which the masked figure had stoked, ensuring that it would last long enough for him to go about his duties before coming back.

It had been a shock at first when he had woken up to find the other boy gone, but he had been to exhausted to do much other than curl up into a ball and sob till he fell back asleep from exhaustion. His body was bandaged and he was in nothing other than his boxers, but he didn't care. He was too hurt, to tired, to broken to care or be embarrassed any more.

He had been awake for hours now, just sat up against the closed, or at least what he thought was a closed circle of a small caved room. Only one passage led off into the pits of darkness and every last sense of warning in his mind shouted at him not to go that way, while the other part of him whispered to do it, go and get lost in the caves, freeze to death, starve to death. To just die.

But eventually, the sound of footsteps came flooding back along and echoed through the mouth of the cave around him. Stone being crushed under heavy boots. _Be a soldier. _Thomas' thoughts pleaded. _Shoot me. Kill me. Please, raise a gun and shoot me in the head. _His mind cried out.

But only as the flickering shadows of the firelight cast a glance over to the small passage way, did he see the cloaked figure returned, shouldering what looked like a heavy bag, while one hand was wrapped tightly around their side, their bandage covered hand holding on tightly to their rib area of their chest.

It was the first time that Thomas had managed to catch a real look at the figure as they came in and dropped the bag next to the fire, slowly walking over and crouching in front of him. _"Lean forward." _They demanded. Their voice from before now tainted my a metallic chorus of disguise. The tone and depth now seemingly cold and dark.

But still Thomas did as he commanded, only just noticing the bandages around his own chest, before his eyes scoured over the boy's outfit.

A material, like that of black leather but looking flexible and as breathable as normal cloth was draped tightly over his torso and wrapped around his legs, like a second layer of skin. The faint motions of the fabric almost seemingly made up in shapes of hexagons, but it was impossibly smooth, just as Thomas found out when he lent forward and his fingers brushed against it.

The boy wore heavy strapped up boots which stopped just above his knee cap and a velvet, (or at least, the material seemed to look velvet), black and silver trimmed cloak which was starting to look frail at the base of it's slight trail. His face was still hidden by shadows but the mask was forming some shape of recollection in Thomas memory. _"You heal rather well." _The voice complimented, just as a burst of smoke whispered out of the mechanical gritted canine like teeth when a ray of light shined over the front of the cloak.

The boy moved back over to the bag he had brought into the cave, carefully keeping one of his hands around his torso, which was bringing out more and more of Thomas' curiosity. His senses still slow and slayed with his broken mind. His whole body language was guarded, like he was a small kid, curled together, scared and lonely in the shadows. But the boy's hand, it still felt like it was burning, like he had been bathed in fire... the scorch. At least, that's what Tommy guessed. He remembered being caught up in a heat like that, having to endure it.

When the boy returned he had two small cylinders, one with a liquid and the other with a green like medical creme which smelt strange and strong to Thomas. _"Stay there." _The boy stated, although at first it had been rather harsh, but now it seemed to have taken on at least, a tone of sadness? Sympathy? Understanding? How could this figure understand him. They didn't know him. They could know nothing about him. They had just stopped him from getting back to Newt.

He wouldn't forgive them for that.

The figure sat crouched in front of Thomas for a minute, holding a strange circular bowl in front of his eyes, like he was showing the boy in warning, but still, it helped Thomas at least feel a little less edgy. The figure however just took a few leafs and shoved them into the bowl, taking a small rounded piece of wood and crushing them together, occasionally reaching into a bag on his black belted waist, pulling out various petals, plants, and a few vials which smelt sickly sweet, all went into the bowl, and all began to concoct into a strange mixture before Thomas' eyes. _"Breathe it in." _They whispered, slowly Taking one of Thomas' hands in their free one and lifting the the bowl towards the Brunette's face.

The smell was instantly like getting dunks beneath a glacier of ice. Thomas' nostrils flared and the boy's eyes widened. His mind flared, a thousand thoughts racing through it.

With the most speed he had in a long time, his body reacted, lurching back and pushing itself against the cold wall of the cave, while his mind raced, finally, like a damn bursting open. _Newt, Wicked, flare, cranks, the others, friends, foes, loss, pain, agony, anger, hurt, pain, Newt, Pain, Newt, loss, Newt. Hatred. EVA. Kill. WICKED! _

Thomas gripped his head and felt one hand come to his shoulder. _"It's like an anti depressant." _The voice whispered. _"Don't worry, you will calm down in a few minutes. It clears the mind, wakes you up. When you are ready, I will deal with the rest of your wounds." _They said gently.

The figure's hands trembled slightly and Thomas frowned, watching as they pulled their other hand away, the bandages were soaked through with blood. "You're hurt." Thomas whispered softly, pulling his hands free of his hair, and holding on tightly to the boy's blood soaked one, staring at the hand, but never turning his eyes up towards the darkness of the hidden face. _"I have had worse." _

It felt like a fresh brush of air had run through Thomas' mind. Suddenly the shadows around him were meaningless, the fact the dark cave was no longer closing in on him was forgotten. Only his accelerated heart racing wildly was familiar as an old aspect of himself fought it's way to the surface. The part of him which actually cared for others, who cared for what happened to them. Who remembered that pain of losing them, now warned that there was no chance he was losing some one else.

Thomas moved from his crouch and helped seat the boy back down. "I'm sorry." He whispered, over and over again. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have- You got hurt because I- and then you- Gally-"  
_"Hush now." _The figure softly whispered. Their bandage hand reaching out and placing lightly on Thomas' cheek, not out of any romantic attachment, but only like that when caring and talking to a frantic child. _"Calm down. No good will come from getting yourself worked up."  
_"Who are you?" Thomas whispered. "No, questions later. Help you first." He demanded, not noticing how the figure was stunned but laughed softly under their breath.  
_"You certainly are a strange one, but it seems my medicine helped at least a bit. Now you're not trying to kill yourself." _The figure let out a sigh and a whisper of smoke whooshed out either side of their face.

Thomas for the first time saw the glowing sensors like eyes which burned in a venomous green light.

"What if they come back." Thomas whispered, fear beginning to return and set in his bones, but the figure just hushed him gently, keeping their voice soft and calm, like a paternal parent.  
_"Take a few deep breaths. Let the medicine finish, then I will answer any questions. But don't worry. We are safe. I'm here to protect you. I'm your guardian."_ They moved their fingers gently against Thomas' cheek affectionately, a slight evidence of pain now bursting into their voice. _"I need you to be calm to help me with this. You need to have steady hands."_

"I-I can help!" Thomas nodded, his mind may having awoken, but still, full sense to the boy he used to be seeming so far away as the nervous boy now helped the figure over to the fire. The figure left the medicine and poured it into a new vial, resting it under a few scoops of ashes to warm and settle before later administration.

But now Thomas saw the full extend of the boy's pain.

A large line of bullet marks across the boy's side. One struck through the material and under the skin, not seemingly gone deep and able to be pulled out, but still, blood was dripping freely from it and the other marks where bullets had grazed and tore into the skin. "This is my fault." Thomas whispered. His hands moving back to fist into his hair as he stared with wide eyes. The memories of the boy being shot trying to save him fresh and painting themselves into his mind with his thoughts torturing him. "This is all my fault! You're hurt because of me! I did this! I got you hurt! Just like all the others-"  
_"Thomas. Calm down." _The figure whispered. _"Now look at me."_

The figure just reached up to their face and Thomas heard a loud click and hiss as the mask which had been there now released itself from the skin it had attached itself to. The figure placed the mask down gently and Thomas heard the whirring of the machinery which made up the mask, while the lenses flickered and turn off, the whole mechanical side of it shutting down.

He couldn't meet the figure's face, but only looked at the parts which weren't covered by the large cloak hood: the soft porcelain like pale skin of a gentle cheek. The edge of a mouth which softly spoke and offered him a whisper of a smile. "Does this help now Thomas?" The boy whispered in a voice which could have tamed the wild storms of the Scorch. Every ounce of tone in it was soothing, richly soft and comforting, yet there was something else there. Something like reproach as the boy now laid back across the cold stone next to the fire, having put the flat of a blade into the fire, and now reaching into the bag he had brought back and pulled out a pair of tweezers. "Thomas? I need you to listen carefully to me now okay?" The voice said gently.

The brunette nodded.

"Okay." The boy went on. "The bullet inside of me. It's trying to go deeper. I need to you either, pull it out, or cut it out."  
_Gun. _Thomas thought, the sound of a gun shot echoing through his mind as he had pulled the trigger against Newt's head. _Bullet. Gun. Bang. Pain. Newt-  
_"I need you to help me." The boy whispered, a little more urgently. "Please-"

The brunette froze.

Slowly with a great shade of pale creeping across his haunted face, he lunged over to the bed roll the boy had made up for him, quickly sliding it under the boy's head and taking the tweezers, staring down as the boy pulled up his armour like vest, to show the pale and slender torso beneath it which was speckled and stained with flows of blood. "I need you to get the bullet out, so I can stop the bleeding." The boy stated. "When I've stopped the bleeding, I can finish your medicine, and try and help. Then after rest, we will start to move. Find what ever is left of the others, and carry on from there."

"I can't do this. I couldn't save them. I can't save you." Thomas shook his head, beginning to already slip back into his broken mental state. His body screamed to take the dagger in the fire and plunge it into him self, a voice whispering in the bag of his mind to destroy himself, while the aspect of him which was here, which was fighting to stay, screamed at him to help. The two voices waging constant war between one another, mercilessly pulling him apart at the seams. "I got them killed. I'm nothing! I'm broken!"  
_Yes! You're broken! _The voice whispered in his head. _You're worthless now! What use could you be to anyone!  
_"I'm just a broken weapon! All I can do is hurt people further!"

Thomas' hands shook until the boy gently reached out his hand and held Thomas', but the brunette still couldn't look up to the boy's face, or meet his gaze. "I don't like people." The boy whispered. "I hate people! Have done all my life, It's why I've always been alone. What happened out there proved it. But you know what? I love people who are broken!" His soft voice wrapped through Thomas, making both voices in the boy's head stop.  
_What. _The cold voice in Thomas' head barked.  
"What?" Thomas whispered, tears beginning to run free of his eyes.  
"You're strong. You're so strong."  
_No you're not! _The voice barked in his head.  
"And I trust you. I trust you more than I would trust some one who isn't broken."  
"Really?" Thomas whimpered.  
_NO! _The voice barked.  
"Really." The boy softly said, laying back and preparing for what was about to happen as he could feel the bullet digging itself deeper into his skin. "I trust you." He slowly let his hands fall back from Thomas'.

Thomas trembled slightly but nodded, the voice in his head being momentarily drowned out and muted as he leaned forward and went to work, pushing the tips of the tweezers into the bullet hole. The boy above him bit viciously into a makeshift gag he had made from the scarf around his neck, and tried not to scream but keep his face clear of pain, so he wouldn't spook Thomas. "Y-You nea-nearly got it!" The boy gasped, trying with every ounce of self will not to scream as Thomas plunged the tweezers in and grabbed the bullet tightly, his fingers trembling. The brunette could feel the bullet pulling hard against his grip now, trying to move further into the boy.  
_No. _Thomas thought. _He trusts me.  
HE LIED!_ The voice screamed._  
HE TRUST ME! I WON'T LET HIM DOWN  
_"It's okay. You did it."

Thomas didn't even realize that he was now shouting into the cave, calling out, shouting for the voice to shut up as he held the strange bullet in the grip of the blood stained tweezers. The boy had his bandaged hand quickly back to Thomas' cheek, whispering sweetly and comfortingly in that beautiful voice. "You did it." He said, over and over again. His free hand taking the tweezers and throwing the bullet into the fire where it sizzled and melted.

The boy took a shaky breath as he knew what he had to do next. He was still bleeding too much from the bullet, he had to stop the bleeding.

His eyes moved to the dagger.

There was only one sure way to make sure that it did.

"Don't look. Don't listen." The boy said sweetly to Thomas, helping him sit down, moving him back to where the boy had set up Thomas' bed roll, but Thomas shook his head, adamant on staying next to this unmasked boy. "I don't want this to upset you." The boy whimpered as the pain shot through him and Thomas recoiled like a beaten dog. "D-Damn it. I need to get this over with!" A harsh savagery broke into his voice and the boy lunged for the dagger in the fire, the metal now glowing nearly orange from such intense heat.

The boy examined the flat of the metal to make sure none of it was dripping from being too hot, but only the perfect temperature, and hot enough to do what he needed to do next.

Thomas only realized what the boy was doing when it was too late.

The boy shoved the flat of the hot scolding metal against the wound and bite savagely into his scarf gag, rolling around on the ground, writhing in agony, trying with all might of his body not to scream out with overwhelming agony as he had been left with no other choice for the wound but to cauterize it.

Thomas gripped onto the boy's other hand, feeling the grip suddenly tighten, he wanted to comfort the boy somehow, to help him. He could not stop the pain but he could let the boy know that he was there.

So for five minutes and thirty three seconds, the boy managed not to scream. Only in the last minute of being sure that he had to finish off the job and letting out a scream of agony, did he finally stop, the blade clattering from his grip and falling to his side as he took long drawn out pants, trying to regain the breathe which had been crushed out of his lungs. Thomas crouched beside him, trying desperately in some way to help, but he could do nothing for a longer amount of time till the boy finally regained some sense, slowly sitting up. "I-I'm sorry. I tried not to scream. I didn't want to hurt you-" He began but Thomas simply threw his arms around the boy.

_You have no one! Let go of him! _The voice in Thomas' head barked. _Everyone else left you! They knew you weren't worth it! They left you! You're nothing! You have nothing!  
__I have him. _Thomas snapped back at the voice. _I have this boy, I will protect him. He hurt himself, lost the others because of me! He did all that, to help me! He's mine! _He was surprised his thoughts were growing into his own shouts inside of his head as the voice backed off. _This boy is mine! I will look after him! I won't let anything hurt him! HE'S MINE!  
_"Shush now." The boy whispered softly, instantly his touch seeming to drain all fight out of Thomas as the boy weakly sat forward. His hood fell to his shoulders and his spikes of bright platinum and golden blonde hair rustles like an old memory, flailing in short cuts on the sides, and a spiked fringe at the front. The boy's porcelain like pale skin complimented the sharp jaw of his face and the almost seeming glow of his deep emerald eyes. His smile was a pearly painting of comfort even with the pain painted through his eyes, the sweat beaded on his brow, and the obvious strain in his breathing.

Thomas stared for a moment then gently leaned forward and rested his head against the boy's shoulder. "There we go." The boy whispered softly. His hand gently resting behind Thomas' head. "I will keep you safe. Now let me see your wounds, I will try and help the best I can."

For the next half an hour, that is how it went. The boy worked in the dying firelight, occasionally bringing out an amount of wood to make the fire brighter, or going back to his supplies to make medicines. He would whisper comforts to Thomas and always ask permission before he touched Thomas' skin or body in any way to apply the medicine and fresh dressing for wounds. "You may have a slight concussion from when I-" The boy paused, pressing his mouth into a hard line. "I'm sorry, but I had to get us out of there-"  
"It is no problem." Thomas whispered, quietly and timidly. Not embarrassed by his body, but finding that his mind changed the longer he sat with the warm vial in his hand which the boy had dug out from under the ashes and placed a final petal in before asking Thomas to hold it under his nose and breathe in the fumes from it. The sickly sweetness from before had gone and now left only a sweet smell like flowers.  
"Most of these I dressed before are already okay. I just may need to stitch the bullet you got when we tried to escape." The boy said, still treating Thomas like he was a cornered animal which may run at any moment.  
"Tell me about yourself." Thomas said, finding some confidence coming back into his voice the longer the medication swept through his body.  
"What like?"  
"Who are you? Why are you looking after me?"  
"Ah, that?" The boy sighed softly.

Thomas turned his head to watch how those emerald eyes were stuck hard at work, looking over the wounds. "It's like I said earlier, I guess. I'm your guardian. I'm part of..." The boy paused, stopping himself for a moment. "Was, part of a group who were against-"  
"_Wicked._" Thomas completed the boy's sentence, making the blonde smile softly at the edge of his mouth.  
"That's right." He nodded. "We were sent out to your camp, to try and save you. We knew that Wicked were still keeping their eyes on you. They were still working on their projects. But we traveled far. We came so far to try and get you guys out of there."

The boy paused, his palm going flat against Thomas' back, the brunette feeling a single splash of a tear and turning his gaze away so the blonde wouldn't feel embarrassed. "I guess we failed. After everything, just like the rest of the efforts in this world." The boy shook his head. "We failed."  
"You saved me." Thomas whispered. "I didn't see Minho get hurt either. Maybe the others ran and made it out."  
"My squad died." The boy whispered. "I only joined because they said, that I was the only one who may be able to get them through."  
"Joined who?" Thomas frowned.

The boy immediately sensed the tension as he paused in the middle of taking out the stitches from the wound on Thomas' back. "I'm not _Wicked._" The blonde stated.  
"How can I trust you-"  
"I. Am. Not. _Wicked_." The boy growled with such a cold and harsh savagery that even Thomas was taken back, for a moment seeing the pain and complete agony washed through the boy's face at the mention of that group.  
"I'm sorry."

The boy paused, watching Thomas ease then finished removing the last of the stitches. "Second in command, commander Harry Crudele." The boy said gently. "Special covert operation, medically trained as back up first aid and captain in the trap and ambush squad before the operation."  
"Harry Crudele." Thomas whispered softly.  
"Ex maze runner. I was an escapee. Got out a couple years before you did. Manage then to escape out of _Wicked's _radar and ran solo." Harry continued, his eyes turned now with focus as he heated up the needle slightly and dripped a numbing agent across the metal and dabbed Thomas' skin with it after cleaning the wound again, making Thomas wince.  
"You was in the maze?" Thomas whispered.  
"Yeah, got shoved in there when I was just a kid. Ten I think. At least that's what it says in my file. Spent four cursed years there, running the maze every day. I hated it, but it taught me lessons. Like maybe I'm no better than just any other soldier."  
"You tried to save us." Thomas whispered.  
"Tried being the focused word." Harry muttered quietly. "Failed being the official one."

Thomas winced slightly and gasped as the needle penetrated his skin and the wound was beginning to get stitched. "It will be over soon." Harry whispered, working carefully.  
"What do we do now?" Thomas whispered. "Why don't you just leave me here?"  
"Because, you're so much more than just someone I had to rescue, now." Harry said, turning Thomas to look at him in the eyes.

Thomas noted the other boy was slightly smaller than him and looked starved, the boy could do with a decent meal and sleep. "I've only ever had a few friends and now they're all dead, out there back in a field." Harry said, his eyes hardening. "I was supposed to get them through this. Kids, my age. Fifteen, were expected to do this cause we were expendable. We were the weak ones. I had some importance because I knew about medicine, but other than that, I'm weak. I'm nothing. But I'm alive and they aren't. They're out there and they have no one else to remember them now but me."

Thomas looked away, down at the cold floor of the cave.

"You, are all that I-" Harry paused, steeling his voice. "You are all that is left of them. I'm taking you back to my home." He paused, trying again to now push at least for a smile. "Us broken toys need to stick together." He rested his head against the area next to Thomas' wound for a moment and the brunette blushed at the first bit of human comfort or true interaction he had since they had reached their 'paradise'.

A soft sob broke through the blonde and Thomas turned to wrap his arms around the boy, trying to give back the comfort the blonde had given him since he had been trying to come back to his senses. "We will." Thomas said gently. "We will."

_**-End of flash back-**_

Newt was sat on the ground, staring in shock. A faint tear was at the edge of his eyes but he tried to hold them back now that he stared at Thomas. The boy who had always been so strong, the boy who had been Newt's hero. The one Newt had thought could never truly be beaten. But Thomas had been broken, just like the rest of them. Those people who Harry, or Fox, whatever you wanted to call him. Those who Fox had pledged to always be there for, his mind had lost even that much of his past. "Tommy." Newt whispered.  
"The next day, we left the cave." Thomas stated, making it clear that for now he was done with story time.  
"Tommy."

Newt dove down onto his knees next to him and kissed the boy passionately on the lips, taking those strong hands in his own and holding Thomas tightly. He tried to pour everything he thought and felt into the kiss. _I love you. No matter what ever happened. I love you! I will always love you._ Finally he came back up for air and rested their foreheads together, staring with his puppy dog brown eyes into Thomas' own dark ones, he could see the burden and pain of the memories which were the wight of the sky across Thomas' shoulders. One he was ashamed to reveal to Newt."I want you to tell me the rest of that story." He began, Thomas was about to speak out but Newt shook his head. "Not now, but once a day, I want you to tell me more about what happened."

Newt frowned as something though finally occurred to him. "Hang on... you said, Harry Crudele-"  
"The last name is the same as his bow." Thomas said quietly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "That was always his favorite weapon. They chose him for the rescue mission because he wasn't strong, but he was one of the best marksmen that they had." Thomas lent his head back against the harsh bark of the tree. Tears beginning to shine in his eyes. "We can't lose him Newt. I lost you, then I- I had to watch as-"

Newt paused, watching with a heavy and pained heart as Thomas' words failed him. The boy reached for a necklace and gripped it tightly, a faint link of silver chains with a charm. Newt caught a faint scent of flowers whispering from it and watched Thomas' inhale it gently before putting it back under his shirt. _The medicine. Fox must have had a fail safe encase he couldn't protect Tommy and Tommy would go back to the broken state that Fox had managed to get him out of. _Newt shook his head. _Fox really does always have a back up plan... except for apparently when it mattered._

The blonde slowly wrapped his arms around Thomas' neck and held him close. "We will get him back." Newt whispered. "I promise you Tommy. I give you my word."

Both rose and left the clearing. For the first time not being under the studious glare of Jonathan's sapphire eyes from the shadows of the trees, but only leaving as a pair of glowing green lenses in the darkness watched them leave together, before they themselves, sunk back into the shadows.


	16. A chance presents itself

**Hi everyone. Thank you to everyone who has favorite and followed this story. Thanks to the reviews and all the new favorites and follows**** ^_^**** Have a nice day/night wherever you are. Warning: Story contains boyxboy, swearing, scenes of violence.**

* * *

_**-Flash back-**_

The morning was lit crimson as the mountains of sand rose around them, daunting and as always, seemingly infinite. The light bled through the sky with the first cracks of dawn, but still the heat was unbearable. The wind whipped against them no matter just how hard that they tried to leave the cave. The rock formations were the only thing that were keeping them from being swept out among the storm of debris.

Thomas knew this, but it still didn't stop him screaming as he lunged out at the storm, only to be blasted back onto the cold floor of the cave. His spine screamed out in pain as the stitched wounds across his back bellowed their pain to him. But he didn't stop. He just kept throwing himself at the mouth of the cave over and over, trying to break through but finding that he was just whipped back against the cold stone floor.

His fist pounded over and over onto the ground till his knuckles split and spilled blood down his fingers. It had nearly been a week now since they had been trapped in this cave. The storm was still going strong and relentless in giving up any time soon. Just like his resolve and anger, at least, that's what he thought. But the more he just hurled himself at the storm, the more he found himself growing weaker and weaker. His body pleading him to give up and just rest. To give in.

And eventually he did, slumping against the ground and letting frustrated tears from his aching mind break free as he curled his fists and punched the solid rock. His teeth were barred and ground together as the water dripped from over head and splashed along his cheek. His back screamed in agony where he had taken injuries still were clambering into his skin and taking their time to heal. It probably didn't help that in fits of hysteria he clawed at himself savagely.

"What else can I do!" He punched the ground, over and over, his knuckles splitting wide open and leaving bloody prints behind him and small droplets which pooled together. "How much more can I lose at this point!?" He screamed out, not noticing how his voice carried off down in echoes through the tunnel systems.  
"You hear that?"  
"Yeah. It sounded like it came from over here-"

Thomas' heart nearly stopped and the boy shoved himself back violently from the mouth of the cave, when among the violent storm of sand outside, beams of light pierced through the worst of it, sweeping over everything in sight: the growing mounds of sands which were beginning to seal off the mouth of the cave, heavy black boots shoved into the ground deeply, trudging further and further in front of the cave till Thomas saw the black armored figures come into sight.

They were pretty much what he expected from soldiers, just like those from the other night. Black helmets with the front covering the face, a black visor relaying information to them no doubt with an incredible amount of technology at their dispersal which they were using to search for him. Their chests were covered with the thick black leather and plated armour they had been wearing before, though now they had their guns ready and primed in their grips while a single camera like object shined that intense blinding beam of light across everything in sight.

Thomas only kept himself quiet, holding his own breath not daring to let it pass as he took refuge behind some of the rocks, watching with intent eyes as the soldiers passed.

_Harry. _His thoughts suddenly whispered with urgency making him double back on the tunnel he had run down. _If there are soldiers nearby, what if they have figured out another way into the cave?  
__Why would you care? Why don't you just put a bullet in this one's head like you did the other. _That wicked voice whispered back into his mind again, making him whimper out and clutch his head in pain. He could feel his own insanity building it's smug nature at him, the more he sprinted down every winding turn of open caverns and descending tunnels.

Harry had certainly brought them further down and deeper into the hills that Thomas had first realized, at least, that was when the blond boy had shown him that they were back and submerged among the scorch once again. So far from anything and everything. Back to this perilous desert and unending pain of memories which came with it.

_"Turning the lights out. Burning the candles and the mirror's gonna fall tonight." _

Thomas paused as the soft whisper gently worked through the cave, echoing like a melody of a ghost, while along with it a soft purr of gentle sound accompanied it. He couldn't help but let himself immediately submerge in the note of quickly soft tuned notes which each echoed around him, soft like water running through a forest ground and wind running through tree tops.

He slowly rounded the corner to see Harry sat there with his bow. A multitude of strings closely tied together instead of the usual singular one. Harry's pale fingers worked each string with a gentle touch with was the lightest of glances, the tune echoing off it made all the more beautiful as though the boy's soul was going through the air. _"Turning the lights out. Tighten the handcuffs, and the mirror's gonna fall tonight." _The blond sang gently over and over again while his fingers in a frenzied speed made only the calmest and smoothest sounds. It was strange how Harry seemed perfectly intent on each and ever movement being perfect, moving so chaotically fast and precise, but yet making such a calm and beautiful sound, his expression the ever soft smile that he seemed to wear most days now.

"Wow that's beautiful." Thomas said quietly.

Harry blinked a couple of times, coming to an immediate stop as he looked up slowly, his gaze lingering between his bow and from Thomas who held his hands behind his back. "Thomas." Harry said sternly raising an eyebrow watching the brunette study the ground for a long minute. "Come here." Harry pushed for a soft and comforting smile watching the older boy walk over while the blond picked up a warm vial from under the ashes of the log fire which still flickered in the center of the room.

Thomas was about to reach out for it when Harry shook his head. "No, I was thinking. I have a better idea of how to keep the medicine working for you." He smiled gently while pulling off the single rope necklace with a glistening silver charm attached to it. Thomas noticed that it was a strange symbol really. A bow and arrow crossed over a heart. Harry seemed to stare at it for a long moment before he pushed the edges of it into the ash to leave a deep imprint before he pushed the charm into the fire and let it begin to heat up.

Casually he turned back and began to reach into the bag he had brought with him, pulling out a wad of bandages and herbs with various liquids. Thomas had come to watch Harry's creation of medicine with more and more of a growing fascination. Among the hazy moments when he felt himself slipping back into his insane state of hysteria, Harry sitting and making his various medicines, or the boy just talking with his gentle voice, it was enough to calm Thomas down from what ever state he would get himself worked up into.

"You tried to go out into the storm again, didn't you?" Harry wondered, crushing some grass like herbs together in his hand before drizzling a black liquid over them till the blades turned dark crimson like blood. Harry never chided him for hurting himself. He never shouted at Thomas, but still the older boy could see how much it hurt the young soldier whenever he was hurt. Thomas was all that Harry had left of his mission now, the one thing which had cost him all of his squad out there.  
"I'm sorry." Thomas whimpered. "I just-"  
"It's okay." The blond just whispered softly as always. "I understand, it's not always that easy." He reached out gently rubbing his thumb over Thomas' brow in a comforting gesture, smearing a faint drizzle of the liquid to help ease him.

Thomas let out a sigh as the warmth of the liquid seemed to seep through his very skin.

Both fell into silence for a while after that. Doctor tending to his patient but every so often they would catch each other's eyes, for no reason in particular just looking at one another, still just a mystery as they were when they first met, but something seeming to have blossomed. A friendship? Certainly a sense of protection in Thomas' case as the brunette was always trying to see if he could help the blond, but it was difficult being in these caves. "This is the last of the stuff that I brought with me." The blond said with a sigh, turning those deep green eyes down to his pouch. "I'll have to keep the rest of it for emergencies, or find a way soon to get some more. Those herbs were rare." He rubbed the back of his neck, gritting his teeth ever so slightly in frustration at their situation.

It was the first time that Thomas had seen the boy slightly lose his cool.

"What was you doing before?" He asked, finding himself that for once, he was going to distract Harry from the stress of the situation that they were in. It was his turn for once to try and do something for the other boy, while Harry saw to his knuckles and wrapped the medicine damp bandages around his palms and wrists. "It was very beautiful."  
"Thank you." A faint blush moved through Harry's cheeks at the compliment but the boy's eyes were still sad in the firelight of the dark cave. "I found that a long time ago, if I sat around with too much time to focus on all that I had done, I would see nothing more than the blood which soaked my hands." He turned his gaze back to his bow. "That it would drive me mad eventually." He admitted quietly, his eyes lingering on the draw string like he could just see how many arrows he had fired from it into the hearts of others. "So I was taught to turn my own lingering pain into something else. I learnt to play music and well..." He shrugged slightly. "I began to learn to cope better. I'm just sorry that I can't do much more for-"

Immediately he fell silent as both sharply turned their heads towards the mount of the cave.

A faint sound of rocks cascading echoed out from not that far away. The sound being carried probably from higher up in the tunnels.

Thomas felt his blood run cold as chided himself. He had been distracted! He should have spoken up! "Harry?" He said under his breath, beginning to turn but found that he was alone now in the cave. The only signs of anything around him still was the flickering fire, even the medicine pouch and vials seemed to have been gone._ He left you see. _The voice in Thomas' head cheered victoriously. _He left you! Just like all the others! He left you!_

Thomas just stared into the air around him, into every crook and cranny of the area. The cave was a dome of spikes from floor to ceiling! There was no where to hide!

He saw the first parts of lights flickering into the entrance of the cave, he threw himself quickly behind the cover of the shadows and rock formations, wishing with every part of his body that he hadn't been seen. _He left you! He left you! _It chanted through his head still, making tears begin to form in his eyes. _See! No one wants you! Just go out there and die! Do the world a favour!_

"You hear that?"  
"It's pretty hard to miss!" The voices from earlier whispered, their echos entering every space of the room.

He understood two things as of then. The first being that he finally understood why Harry had chosen this cave and this part of the tunnel system. The sound worked in one direction, travelling from the top and through the caves where it would end down here. It meant that they could easily have heard anyone coming, like they did right now.

The second realization came as Thomas' hand landed over his mouth, crushing his words into silence. They had heard him! They had heard his ramblings! The voice in his head, it wasn't just in his mind but also him! He should have taken the medicine while he could! This was all his fault!

He kept his head as low as he could while the first soldier came into the small cave and stared at the fire. The black screen covering his face reflected the glow and flickers of the fire. _"Target ran into here." _The soldier looked around, the camera of light independently worked, scanning over every and any fraction of the room. Persistent and dead set on finding what he was looking for. _I'm gonna die. _Thomas thought quietly, his eyes wide and his hand still crushed over his mouth, unsure whether the words were safe in his thoughts. He couldn't trust himself.

_Another blond just up and left you huh? _The voice sounded thicker and more full of smug than ever. _Well big surprise. You need them like you need a bullet in the head... speaking of which, in this case why don't you just stand up and get it over with!  
_"Got you!"

Thomas looked to see his own legs had worked without his orders. He was still screaming the words into his hand while his eyes widened with realization. The soldier just raised his gun while the loud sounds of the visor beeping alert and confirmation echoed around him. The man's finger on the trigger itched to pull. _You're gonna die! _The voice in Thomas' head screamed. _You're gonna die!  
_"Look how the mighty have fallen." The soldier taunted, shaking his head. "The traitor of _WICKED _now nothing more than an insane little boy."  
_You're gonna die!  
_"You really are a made one aren't you." The soldier chuckled looking over Thomas. "It's doesn't matter any way. It's time that you-"  
"Hey. What do you want? Couldn't even search a cave by yourself."

The first soldier turned as his partner began to slowly walk into the entrance, staring between Thomas and the newcomer. "What?"  
"My point exactly!" The new soldier frowned. "Why the bloody hell were you calling for me if you had the brat already in your sights! You know the orders! Kill him, harvest what we need, then take the mind for download-"  
"I didn't call you." The first soldier could easily be told he was frowning by the tone of his voice. Thomas frowned himself, looking between both of them.  
"Hang on... so if you didn't call me. Then who did?"  
_**"Well then" **_

Both soldiers froze as the cold and dark booming voice grated calmly through the air. Each of them snapped around with their guns raised as a cold and blood gurgling deep snarls began to rise from the shadows with two luminous, venomous glowing green eyes which filled the shadows. Slowly they raised higher till through the flames and the black of the room, the sight became enough to strike even a deep thread of unwavering fear into Thomas, making even the voice in his head fall silent.  
_**"I guess that it must have been me."**_  
"What the hell is that?!" The first soldier exclaimed, staring with horror as the whole cavern began to appear to tremble and shake violently.

Thomas began to back further and further away until he noticed the billow of steam escape out of the shadows while the glowing eyes seemed to just lock onto him and the soldiers with unwavering blood lustful hunger. He turned his head away as the soldiers unleashed a round of fire into the shadows, illuminating the figure in the burst of light while the fire was dying out, making the black of the cave fill each of them all. The figure only sprinted run as fast as they could around the circumference of the cavern while Thomas just threw himself back, staring with horror.

Before he knew it, those venomous green eyes were above him while in the shadows a cloud of smoke billowed out, but the figure didn't stop. They just grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and hurled him out of the mouth of the cave. "No wait!" Thomas lunged back only as the figure took shield behind some of the rocks. A snarl escaping their lips as the bullets hit the shield wall of stone.

Thomas however just lunged back into the room for a moment, staring as around him the stalagmites all seemed to crack and fall with fury, piercing into the ground next to the soldiers while the walls fractured, sending large cracks back towards the entrance.

He reached to the fire quickly grabbing something that had been left behind before he sprinted back towards the entrance, bullets sailing past his head narrowly missing him as he did so. "Got it!" He screamed out.

Just as the cracks reached the entrance way. _**"See you in hell." **_The figure whispered to the soldiers in the dark voice just as they screamed out and the entrance to the mouth of the cave collapsed.

Thomas wasn't sure what to expect, but when he was pinned violently against the wall by a pair of bandage covered hands, the venomous green eyes were ripped away and as the flickering light of a torch was lit on the ground next to them, Thomas stared into a pair of deep emerald eyes adorned by spikes of frozen ice like blond hair. "What the hell were you thinking!" Harry shouted out shaking his head, his fingers were gripped tightly into Thomas shoulders. "What did you run back in there for! I thought that you was going to get trapped with them!"  
"W-What did you do?"  
"I always have a back up plan! The moment that we came into that cave, I trapped it to collapse should we ever need to leave-"  
"Encase we were ever outnumbered and were going to be taken?"  
"No Thomas." Harry growled, his voice pained and his eyes blazing with a pained protection. "Lesson one, pay attention! I don't ever let the odds go against my favour! I will never go into something without being sure that I could pull it off!"  
"I thought you had abandoned me!"  
"Yeah I heard!" Harry said a little bitterly under his voice, before realizing what he had just said. His eyes became hardened for a long minute as the only silence was the screams and sound of loud ruptures of rock from inside the cavern. "I'm sorry." The blond whispered softly, resting his head against Thomas' shoulder since that was as about as tall as he was next to the brunette. "I just... I was worried and I, I thought that I wasn't quick enough, that maybe they were going to shoot first and speak later- but I needed to know what they were doing- I-"

He fell silent as Thomas' arms wound around him and pulled him close.  
"What will happen to them?" Thomas turned his head back towards the now sealed pile of unmovable rocks which blocked the cave entrance. His heart still racing wildly in his chest and with the way the blond was positioned against him, he was pretty sure that the boy could hear to it, because the firm grip on Thomas' shoulders slackened to become a curled fist in his shirt.  
"We're too far underground for them to get a distress signal out. I triggered so that the walls and stalagmites collapsed and crushed them in so they were standing. They have about a day and a half of air, all of which they will spend crushed and stood up like that. If their bodies don't give out first, then their minds will from the pain."

Thomas stared down for a long moment into the boy's eyes, almost disbelieving that the boy he had known for the last couple of days could have come up with something like that. But as he had said, Harry specialized in making traps and ambushes.

Thomas slowly held the boy at arm's length as he brought up what he had grabbed from the room, letting Harry's necklace dangle in his grip where it still glowed molten hot from the heat of the fire. "That's what you grabbed?" The blond stared with wide eyes.  
"It looked important to you earlier... when I saw you looking at it."

Harry paused for a long moment, pulling the vial of Thomas' medicine out his pocket before drenching the charm in it and watching it cool down instantly like it had been submerged in ice cold water, while now the medicine fused itself into the metal.

He said nothing more before taking off his cloak and wrapping it around Thomas' shoulders, finally placing the necklace on the boy after. "Come on. We've got a long walk ahead of us." He said with a slightly shaky voice, before the smaller boy turned, hiding the look on his face and guiding Thomas back to the surface.

_**-End of flash back-**_

Newt sat next to Thomas, huddled close for warmth as he looked around at the white blanket of snow and frost which was beginning to form on the floor of the forest around the camp which was still being put back together. Many of the builders were cursing quietly under their breath, or not bothering to hide how they felt about working in weather like this as the golden haired blonde stared back up at the silver sky of clouds above them.

Newt had finished his duties earlier that morning after having been to a meeting, sorting out what was going on with the split in camp. It seemed that after the Omegas had left, now groups were dividing themselves into their own squads, looking out for themselves and themselves only. It was the one thing that Newt had been dreading since the day Alby had sent of the Omegas to the war zone. The camp was becoming more and more like a wolf pack hierarchy by the day, the only thing keeping a lot of people in line was the fact that Alby and the 'Alphas', or Newt with his more democratically and negotiable approach were taking more notice.

Newt just ran a hand through his hair, resting his head against Thomas' shoulder as both had their thoughts on the red and white haired boy who seemed to be the only thing missing from their comforting hold on each other. "That sounds like Fox alright." He agreed, trembling slightly from the cold but finding that Thomas' warmth was like a furnace to him, just like they had used to do back when they were in the glade, he was a comfort and a sure feel of love through and through.

But still Newt could see it in Thomas' eyes as well. Neither of them could get Fox out of their thoughts.

Was the boy okay out there right now? Where was he? What was going on? Was he safe?

Newt just wanted to bring him back to camp now, he wanted to see that boy once again... and maybe throw a few punches at Jonathan while he was doing so.

"Newt, you have that murderous look in your eye." Thomas said with deep amusement. "Thinking about Jonathan again huh?"  
"I was just weighing up my options."  
"Of what?"  
"Whether I'm going to castrate the bloody little git or just beat the shit out of him." Newt gritted his teeth, glaring foully out across the snow.  
"Remind me never to get on your wrong side."  
"You wouldn't dare." Newt muttered.

Thomas stayed quiet for a minute after that before resting his head against his lover's. "I'm sorry." Newt said quietly turning his gaze back to Thomas. "I just... I-"  
"You're stuck between worrying about him and going mother Newt for him." Thomas teased earning a slight blush from the blond. "Don't think I forgot about when you came to me during my first night and put a blanket over me in the glade."  
"Well you would have caught a cold!" Newt objected, slowly pulling out a black cylinder like device from his belt. His eyes running over it slowly before he threw himself to his feet.  
"Newt? What-"

But that's when Thomas' eyes locked on the half masked boy standing not that far away from them. His sapphire scarf catching in the breeze which burned the same shade as his eyes. He wore no cloak this time but let his crimson hair catch in the breeze, his thin small frame was tensed but still, he wore the same black skin tight vest with those green streams of medication which seemed to be slightly tainted red now, but even behind that half made canine mask, Thomas and Newt could tell that Jonathan was smirking at them.

Newt clicked his knuckles but Thomas quickly stood and took his stance in front of the blond. "Not your best idea Jonathan." Thomas called out.  
_"Aw, I'm going to get a lecture of what is right and what isn't from the suicidal lunatic." _

Silence passed around them for a minute.

Thomas looked between Jonathan and Newt weighing up what had just been said, before taking a step away from Newt who he had been blocking before and lent back up against the tree, watching Newt who now grinned from ear to ear darkly.

Those who had been walking by looked to each other before quickly leaving that part of the camp empty knowing what was coming. "But we've only just got some of the shucking buildings set up!" One of the builders groaned, glaring between Jonathan and Newt. "Either way... I bet Newt kicks the little klunk's ass."

The blond smirked while Jonathan glared over to the others before turning his gaze back to the two older boys. _"I'm here on business, for the meeting. I heard Alby was calling?"  
_"So he even called your little wretch arse here huh? Personally, I think he should toss you to the _Wicked _and be done with you."  
_"Aw, the little lizard like newt is so jealous that the wolf has taken his mate." _Jonathan gloated.  
"Well technically, you've taken nothing." Thomas stated. "Because for as much as you look at Fox like a doting little puppy, he still sees you as nothing but a small child."  
_"Better than, as he apparently looked at you, like a broken one." _Jonathan shot back.

The smaller boy then paused as Newt's finger came to a rest on the button of the cylinder. "Go on." The blond gritted his teeth slightly. "Push me. Please." His eyes shined with anger. "I'm having a bloody awful day. I could do with a bit of target practice."

Jonathan gulped slightly and turned his gaze over his shoulder to the tent. _"You're not worth it anyway." _He snarled. _"I've already won today, because I'll be seeing Fox, and you two won't." _The boy laughed coldly sprinting off.

Newt tapped his finger against the button of the cylinder but never pushed it. His eyes watched Jonathan fading into the distance as the boy ducked around the trees and among their cover. Newt just turned his back, feeling Thomas' arms around him as the taller boy came to rest his head against his shoulder while Thomas kissed his neck slowly. "I'm really, really beginning to hate that kid." He muttered.

Newt stayed quiet though for a few more minutes till Thomas asked. "A penny for your thoughts?"  
"I know Fox." Newt said quietly. "I know the way that boy acts. So do you. But I know that-" The blond paused for a moment in thought, remembering Thomas' most recent sharing of the story as his eyes went deeper with thought, while from what else he had heard from that short spent time in the war zone from Gally. "He wouldn't send one of his own soldiers out here alone, he would make sure that they are safe."  
"But as much as he trusts the others." Thomas carried on Newt's thoughts.  
"He would make sure that he got the job done himself."

Both paused for a long moment turning their eyes back to the tent where now Jonathan poked his head out of, his eyes glistening with his hidden smirk.

Both boys took off running to the tent without hesitation.


	17. Taking matters into our own hands

**Hi everyone. Thank you to everyone who has favorite and followed this story. Thanks to Guest for your review =)and all the new favorites and follows**** ^_^**** Have a nice day/night wherever you are. Warning: Story contains boyxboy, swearing, scenes of violence.**

* * *

_"Listen. I told you before! I can't let you through! I have orders from Alby-"_  
"And I told you! If you want me not to kick you, in your bloody balls, get out my way!" Newt snarled.

They had been at this for nearly ten minutes now. Newt was growing more red the the face the longer that his frustration and his patience wore thin. The boy in front of him was in very many ways like Jonathan, tedious, annoying, able to push Newt's button at the wrong moment when he was likely to kick the boy's arse. But seemingly like Jonathan he wore a dog like mask around the lower half of his face. He wore the same dark material as a vest and tight pants, the boys knee length boots crunched deeply into the snow and shined against the growing white backdrop, though there was one aspect of difference that this Omega had to Jonathan at least. Instead of bandages around his arm he wore circling black bands with sharpened onyx spikes which looked as though they could cause some damage. These bands went from his wrist and up past his biceps. Though Newt could tell by the glancing gaze that the boy had, he wasn't the type of boy to use them.

They were for show.

Newt however didn't need to use a weapon or armour as proof that he was strong. His own will and his fierce nature spoke for itself.

Thomas was trying not to burst out into laughter as he watched his little blonde angel slowly losing it more and more with each second. But he himself had a cold look locked onto this boy who had taken up guard. Thomas had been seeing enough ghosts around lately, he was growing more and more uneasy. He just wanted their Fox back so all three of them could just sit down and talk!

But for whatever amount of an extent they needed to have talking, who knows just exactly how much more they would need to think about.

"You've got to the count of three to get out of my way." Newt stated with a voice colder than the winter coming down on them. His eyes ablaze with protectiveness and an held back irate state. The same state that Thomas had watched over those long weeks when they had both thought Fox was lost to them. Thomas knew how much Newt hated losing people. After all, Thomas knew just the true amount of what Newt had to lose in the maze. Thomas had felt that pain when he had thought he had lost Newt himself.

And then even after that, there had been one more time when he had felt that pain.

Thomas had only survived it twice.

Newt had survived it more times than he could count.

The boy shuffled his feet looking more and more nervous under Newt's gaze. "Little advice kid." Thomas piped up. "You better give the Glade mother hen here his chick back." Thomas smirked deeply watching the blond flash him a momentary glare. "You don't want to see my Newtie when you get in the way of those nurturing instincts... and the other instincts."  
"THOMAS!" Newt barked with a sharper glower.  
_"I told you- I can't-"  
"What's the problem Panther cub."  
_"And then there's this dick." Newt snarled.

Jonathan slowly sashayed out of the tent guided by Alby who took at a look at Thomas and Newt, glared then turned to address Jonathan. "I believe that will be all. I await the reply of your leader with... 'eager' intent." He muttered, then walked off, calling over his shoulder. "But do tell him to take his time and come back in no rush!"  
_"He's next to get a arse kicking." _Jonathan growled quietly, making Thomas pause for a moment as something in the boy's voice came through clearly for the first time.  
"Who would be the first?" Newt said coldly. "I'm hoping fox has got your name on that list reserved in first place."  
_"Me? His adorable, loving, loyal-"  
_"Pet?" Thomas interjected with a smug smile, earning a glower, then making Jonathan flinch back slightly when he cast his own.  
_"Think what you want you two pricks. But I still won this round."  
_"What do you mean, 'won this round?'." Newt rolled his eyes. "Actually no. I don't have time for this. _We _have business to deal with." He snarled heading into the tent.  
_"I mean. I gave my dear leader a warning."  
_"What." Thomas deadpanned.  
_"He already took off back to our camp."_

Thomas curled his fist tightly for a long moment and watched as fear shot through Jonathan's and the other boy's eyes as suddenly Thomas was towering over both with a growing dark aura. His eyes blazed like two hazel dark pits. Fox had been here, but this little piece of klunking, shuck faced klunk had just cost him and Newt the opportunity to talk to him! _"I guess I not only won the fight, but I also won the war." _Jonathan gloated nervously.

Thomas snapped out of his growing rage immediately and stared blankly ahead of him, like he had taken a sharp and violent blow to the stomach. His face scrunched as pain was clearly visible on it while behind it and the pale shade which had just violently wreathed through his chest, Jonathan seemed to have taken this for some sort of sign as he had actually scared Thomas. _"I told you, you would not win! I won the fight! I won the war! I will never lose again!"_

That brought back quickly some of the same anger and Thomas just looked at Jonathan as he glared directly down at the boy. "Really?"  
_"I WON!"_ Jonathan nearly screamed, his dark eyes glinting with confidence.  
"Three." Thomas said nonchalantly.  
_"What?" _Jonathan frowned deeply. The boy next to him who Jonathan had referred to as 'Panther cub', turned looking nervous.  
"Two." Thomas continued as impassively.  
_"What are you doing?" _Jonathan curled his fists, taking a step forward so he was directly in line with the entrance of the tent, just as Thomas had measured and taken the appropriate step back into making the small boy do so.  
"One." Thomas smirked.  
_"Don't you get it! You two bit man slag! FOX IS MINE-"  
_"Zero."

Thomas himself barely seemed able to watch the motion as in one second Jonathan had been stood there as normal as he had been for the last few minutes. Next thing Thomas knew, Jonathan screamed out with that pained metallic deep voice and gargled violently as he was lifted of the ground by the grip on his throat and slammed back against the harsh bark of the tree.

Newt's eyes were ablaze like two pits of dark fire. His glare bore viciously into the kid that Newt wasn't even sure at that moment, whether he was truly just angry about this, or whether finally after having to shoulder everything for so long alone, all of this had been the last straw-  
_No. _His thoughts snapped. _This little shit is fucking you over. That's why you're pissed off.  
Oh... good to know. _

He slowly pulled his lips slightly back over his teeth, which were ground together in his anger. "You are really, really pushing me kid! As much as I would hate to have Fox pissed off at me for beating your fucking little rat arse. I'm sure both he, and certainly I, will have no trouble getting over it!" He snapped, watching Jonathan squirm while his voice came out in a strangle mechanic rasp. "Do you get that you little shit?!" He snapped.  
"Newt."  
"I am so sick of not getting my happy ending because of somebody fucking with my life." Newt snarled, his eyes dangerously ablaze. "First it was wicked, taking me away from my Tommy. Now it's you taking me away from Fox."

Newt grip tightened slightly making Jonathan scream out.

"Newt!"  
"It's like someone out there is literally just sat down, trying to make as long story as possible out of my love life, like I'm some freaking book to be opened and read! Making it difficult at every sodding turn for me to get what I fucking want!"  
"NEWTON!"  
"WHAT?!" The blond snarled, turning his head and glaring for a long moment at Thomas, then letting his grip go slack immediately and Jonathan drop to the floor.

Thomas swept forward slowly, his steps into the snow crunching fiercely loud into the new silence which was only interrupted by Jonathan trying to get his breathing back under control while his fellow soldier crouched next to him, with a hand on his shoulder.

Thomas' eyes were like a stone. Cold. Empty. Devoid of anything at all which Newt at that moment could have considered to the boy to have been of himself. Newt wondered quietly if this was the Thomas that Fox had spent a year with before mysteriously winding up in this place.

Thomas however just walked over to Jonathan and looked at the boy for a long moment, before slowly leaning in and whispering something.

The effect was instantaneous.

Jonathan screamed out and launched himself back, clambering to his feet with as much speed as he could, while his eyes were some what mixed with an exploding irate state and being drowned and flooded with fear, while with what was left from the little view of his face, Newt saw the boy pale while his eyes shined slightly brighter... were those tears?

Jonathan just screamed _"No! NO!" _Over and over again, looking between the state of wanting to run over and kill Thomas and at the same time, wanting to run away as fast as he possible could, which after about about a minute he finally did.

Newt just stared up at Thomas for a long minute seeing no trace of hatred. Newt had always been able to read Thomas well, whenever the brunette ever got angry, he would always tense his shoulders and lower back, especially when he was threatening someone. A habit Thomas hadn't shook at all, from what Newt had seen over these last few weeks. It was how Newt knew that Thomas certainly hadn't just threatened Jonathan.

So that brought the question-

"What did you say to him?" Newt frowned slightly, looking at Thomas for a long minute, studying him deeply.

Thomas remained quiet and solitary for a little longer, staring off in the direction that Jonathan had run in. "I threatened him." Thomas said.

Newt listened carefully. To the way that Thomas was more careful with his words. To the fact that they were a lot smoother than normal. He was taking great care not to meet Newt's gaze for too long but a regular amount.

Anybody else would think that was normal.

Newt however knew his Tommy.

Especially when the boy was lying to him.

"I've had enough." Newt shook his head, glaring out from under his snow laced lashes. "If I wanted to be around liars, I would go after Jonathan or go find Alby. I'm going to go and find Fox." Thomas tried to reach out for him but Newt only ripped his hand away and stormed off into the now heavy blizzard.

_**-Break-**_

"FOX!" Newt called out into the night as he took off down the path that they had been walking along earlier. The blonde couldn't help but still tremble as the wind hit him harder. He let out a whimper and closed his eyes in pain as he tried to shield himself against the gale force of the snow.

He had been out here for hours now, stepping through every part of the forest. Tracing every part of the island that he had been imprisoned on. He had started with the waterfall which had been frozen over but completely empty of anyone being even around it. He had checked on the beach and found that there were tracks of footprints but they were old, a few hours at least and had already been mostly covered up by the heavy snow.

He had spent the majority of the after noon checking the hunting grounds, knowing that with weather like this, they would be devoid of any creatures which would be locked away in their own caves or from the storm. But even if they were still out here, he was not in the mood to be rivaled with, nor was he truly defenseless. They would do themselves good to remember that.

But then the sun had set, being wrapped away far earlier than it normally would have under many other circumstance. That had been enough to set him on nerves but then he had realized just about what he seemed to have gotten himself into.

The shadows of the trees terrified him, they always had. He was terrified of the dark and the night, well, after coming to this Island he had found himself growing more and more nervous around them, till he had flinched for the first time when he had fallen into the war zone and found himself alone with only the shadows of burning buildings around him while the blood from those in his squad pooled at his feet.

But still, a part of him knew It would often end up like this. His squad, those around camp, Alby, they were always arguing, barely able to be in the same room together much less be in the same camp sometimes. It was certainly tougher now that he was acting less and less like Mother of the group. Alby had become arrogant... okay, more so than even usual. Their island was surrounded on all sides by threats stronger and even more so dangerous than them. Their camp's morale was as fragile as a thread, it all added up to the fact that it meant it was harder to be able to live here. The forest was dark and full of nightmares, even in the bright of day sometimes it gave him trembles, especially in the dark forest, just beyond the mountain. He could feel the hungry gazes of creatures on him whenever he came out there to hunt. So many of the gits which were waiting for their moment to snap him up.

He still had to wonder though, why was this all happening to him? Had he done something wrong? Was it because he was weak? At least, weaker than those around the camp who could run? Had he been cruel in some other life? As far as memory served him, (like that hardly meant anything at all), he was a good person.

But still he lived in hell every single day.

Now however, he was out here because he had someone that he had to look out for. For what ever Thomas had seen of Fox, Newt knew that the boy who he had met was certainly no longer that blond haired green eyed boy that his Tommy had met. This boy, that Newt knew. The Fox that he had come to fall for. Fox was damaged. Hurt. Broken. Newt hadn't really realized it at first, but when he had seen Fox return from the warzone. From what he had seen of the trembling boy in the night that he had Fox and his Tommy back with him. He had realized it.

From the way that Fox only spared his words should he see they actually needed to be used. To the way that the boy would look at anyone with cold calculating, tired eyes, like he didn't even know why he was bothering with ever trying to figure out how to break people but he had to do it all the same.

Newt could see all the scars that Fox was burdening. Like the heavy set weight of the world was on Fox's shoulders and he had no idea what to do with it except to put on a mask and hide that it was even there at all.

When they had kissed and been together seemed to have been some of the only times that fox had seemed to forget that burden. But now that little prick had been whispering to Fox, whatever little cunning lies that had come into that little creep's head!

Thomas was lying to him once again.

And now as it always seemed to be. Newt was left alone to deal with his own hell.

"Sometimes, I wonder if it would just make whoever is fucking with my life a lot more happier if I was dead." He said quietly into the scream of the storm with a cold glare. "Oh wait, I forgot. I already am!" He barked viciously into the raging storm.

"Fox!" He called out. "Answer you bloody shucker! Where are you!" The torch he had improvised earlier was finally doused as it blew away from his hand, leaving him to the blackness of the forest and the screams of excitement from the raging winds.

No. Right now, he had to think about his Fox. Making sure that he knocked some sense into that boy and dragged him back home where he belonged!

But... in the freezing cold and pitch black darkness of night, it made going out after his Fox, a hell of a lot harder. "Damn it!" He called out pleadingly as he searched further and further for any signs of the boy. Straying away slightly from the path more and more the longer that he was out there. The minutes turning to hours, till his heart hurt from the cold and his feet were beyond numb, crunching and stumbling through the snow, but they never stopped. "Fox come on now! Please! It's too cold for you to be out here alone with no one. I know you're here!" He pleaded to the winds as his legs trembled, growing weaker. "No one deserves to be alone! And I know you are! You can try and cover it up by being... what ever it is those kids want you to be! But it doesn't change everything else! Fox! Please! Why don't you just come out-AGH!"

The floor came out from him quickly and the area around him became dazed as Newt's head hit off the cold ice covered ground, leaving a red stain behind from where his forehead and side of his head had been cut.

But that was the least of his worries as with scrambling hands he quickly found himself clawing at the ground, trying desperately to slow himself down as he had fallen and slipped right onto a steep hill, where now he was slipping and falling down towards the frozen river beneath. Ice covered the water heavily, but it wouldn't hold his weight, as light as he may be, and with a heavily dazed head, he was in no position to think clearly.

So his entire attention went onto clawing at the sharp bits of ground which stuck sharp ends of rocks into his palms, leaving trails of blood behind in the dirt, his palms tore open and his blood left a startling dark trail as he called out, screaming to anything and anyone, the closer that from the drop he got closer to the ice and frozen water beneath. "Thomas!" He called out. "Oh god, oh god, oh god!"

Then came the heavy thump as he hit the cold ice and slid out across it to the center of the frozen wide gap. Barely or scarcely allowing himself to move an inch.

His breath was coming out in a misty trail and his palms were cut harshly, leaving blood across the cold surface. The front of his shirt was torn badly and his coat was slumped around him on the ice. Blood trickled out in a steady flow from the side of his head and down across his eyes, making his sight even worse as it was stained red. His chest shook with each breath as his heart raced, it was dark. He was alone. There was no one around to hear him. No one was going to find him!

"F-Fox!" He tried calling out.

_CRACK_

He paused. Not moving a muscle and trying to spread his weight evenly across his thin and lean body. His eyes were wide and his heart was racing with pure unadulterated fear as the first sign of a crack began to show beneath his palms, almost mirroring like that of a smiling face as it fractured further and further..

In the distance he could hear a loud voice calling out: "Hello?!"

_CRRRRACCCKK_

The cracks were fracturing faster and wider, spreading in every direction.

He only turned his head up in time as a neat name was wrote in cursive around him on the ice.

"HELP ME!" He barely had time to scream.

Before the ice cracked and a pain of what felt like a thousand knives stabbed into him as he crashed through the ice and sank into the freezing water.

He clawed at the water. Kicking with all his might. The breath he had claimed had been robbed of him the moment he hit the water as the cold was blistering and merciless. With all his strength quickly failing him, all he could do was just sink further and further. Flailing wildly, fighting with as much power as he could to try and get back to the fading light above him of where he had fallen through.

For a moment he thought he heard a loud thud, and blinked shaking his head, but the water was stinging his sight, and the darkness around him was claiming him further and further. Is this how it happens? He thought as with all hope failing, and his body sinking further and further into the frozen darkness.

He began to accept what had happened and give into the numbing which was spreading over him. _I'm sorry_. He thought in the back of his mind, even in what he thought was his final moments, he was still trying to make up for what ever he had done to bring on this life which had tormented him.

However, he had done nothing more than merely be born.

His vision was becoming more hazy as his lungs screamed out for oxygen.

_P-please forgive me Fox... I'm sorry._ Was his last thought.

His mouth burst open and the water burst into him.

But only for a second.

He paused as he felt air rushing slowly into his mouth as something pressed against his numbing body. Air. A small amount of it. But still some, flooded through the water which had been filling his lungs and all around him. Were the soft words. Calling out. Speaking louder and louder. "Don't you give up on me you miraculous hot blond bastard!" The words were snarled at him from a beautiful voice.

Newt barely registered that a pair of nearly glowing golden eyes on a lean and scrawny figure floated and locked on with his own. The words reverberated around his head. It should have been impossible. But the words sank into his skin. His mind constantly ticking over them as the air was gently pressed into his mouth and a hand tightly wound around his waist.

It wasn't till he broke the surface that he realized that they had been gradually rising back out the water.

The dark shadow of a figure now above him. With those... those beautiful, glowing golden eyes, which flickered like leaping flames screamed out as their hand blistered on the cold and Newt was barely able to catch a glimpse of a shard of ice stabbing deeply into the figure's leg.

The figure who sounded barely older than him rushed the words as quickly as he could. Such soothing words, purred and almost sung in their whispering movements, trying to keep him calm as he panted frantically for breath.

But even that lost his focus till Newt felt a familiar warmth land on his mouth, and air rush through his lungs with a familiar caress.

The figure rushed out the words again but this time as they pushed on Newt's chest and breathed air back into him. Newt felt the water explode free of his mouth as he flailed and turned weekly over onto his stomach, gasping for air, staring as the figure next to him collapsed against the stronger bits of ice and the bank where they laid.

No words now passed between either of them as both fought for breath. Newt could feel the warmth passing back over his chest as the figure ran their fingers over his skin, passing the last of his warmth with the last of his strength, till the boy's arms simply fell limp at his side and those now glowing eyes just stared blankly at Newt for a while, the pained labor of breathing was shared between both.

Newt blinked a couple of times, watching as the glow in those golden eyes began to weakly close, then return back to the blood dripping and burning crimson. _N-No! P-Please wait! _His thoughts wanted to call out.

He barely had time to manage to take a mental picture of the boy in front of him. Still hidden by the dark but still some features were defined; the faint shinning of ice, frosted hair dusted with shades which were impossible to see in this dark light. But he could tell that it looked like the two different shades were crawling among'st one another. They were damp spikes which fell in a fringe over the figure's eyes and swerve to the side of the boy's head. The boy's body was lean and fine, a single item glittered from his neck, something that almost looked familiar but the charms were of a wolf howling to a moon with a tear moving from the wolf's silver eye. Then there were those pure, precious golden eyes which had belonged to the boy, now settled glowing on a faint burnt crimson, which were only half open, glowing and fading slightly, unable to settle between the two colour. The trickle of blood from the boy's leg continued while with one limp arm out stretched at the edge of the ice, while with the other he cradled where the sharp shard of ice had impaled his limb. "NEWT?!" A voice nearby screamed out.

_Who. Are. You._ Newt thought.

"Newt!"

_Eyes too heavy... need... to sleep-_

"NEWT!"

_I can't stay awake._

The last thing he saw was the boy's eyes shutting just as his did with the storm raging above them and the beginnings of ice starting to creep over them.


	18. Strange dreams and kind words

**Hi everyone. Thank you to everyone who has favorite and followed this story**** ^_^ Thanks as always to ****fiercetiger333 for all your lovely reviews and comments! ^_^ ****Have a nice day/night wherever you are. Warning: Story contains boyxboy, swearing, scenes of violence. Song used in this chapter is sung by Britney Spears. Two chapters in today huh? Not bad eh? ;) Next chapter will be bringing back an old friend ;) Another update will be up in 24 hours**

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Newt gasped as the air rushed deeply into his lungs and he spluttered, turning on his side with the very little amount of strength that he had in his body. It felt like someone was sat with a heavy boot crushing down his chest, crushing every ounce of oxygen out of him. He could only fractionally get his eyes to open slightly as the heavy light blurred out what he could manage to see. The air was still brisk with the cold but there was something else there now, something more warm and comforting... something familiar that he couldn't place.

An arm wrapped around his waist while a content and soft breathing whispered softly against the skin of his shoulder where he was tucked in tightly to a mattress bed. He hadn't slept in a mattress bed almost as long as he could remember! The quilt wrapped above him was soft and fine, sewn together he could feel. He guessed that maybe it was fur? He wasn't entirely too sure. He was still more than dazed, finding himself slipping back in and out of the darkness of an unconscious state with every bleary blink of his eyes.  
"W-Where-" He began, his voice sounding like a pained croak even to his own ears but he only felt a cold, trembling bony finger come to his lips and a voice softly hush above him. The arm around his waist immediately forgotten at there was a slow labored movement next to him on the bed.  
"You need to rest." A voice gently purred, stroking a hand gently against Newt's cheek and holding it there for a long moment, fingers caressing the skin with slow caring movements.

Newt's could only stare through his blurry vision, trying to make some sense of the figure. He could make out that he was in one of the tree houses but not his own suspended cabin. There was a mounted fur skin on the wall at the edge of his vision. A warm fire roared away contently in a stone fireplace and chimney while the rest of the wall were layered beams of cut down and sculpted wood which kept the heat in.

The figure was wrapped in a cloak and kept their distorted face hidden, even though Newt probably wouldn't have been able to see them, the figure seemed to be taking no spare chance in that, but one thing Newt still could see was the glowing trace of those golden eyes. Newt wanted to stare deeply into them, to see the face that they belonged to. He wanted to know who this boy was.

But something inside of him told him that he already did.

_"I feel the adrenaline moving through my veins. Spotlight on me and I'm ready to break."_ The figure began to soft sing while they placed a warm flannel across Newt's brow and pulled the blanket over him, making sure that he was warm enough. He couldn't stop the sigh of appreciation escape his lips as he huddled his arms closer to himself and curled into a ball under the sheets, dragging as much warmth into himself as he possibly could._ "I'm like a performer, the dance floor is my stage. Better be ready, hope that ya feel the same." _He trailed off into humming the same tune softly over and over after that.  
"I-It's y-you." Newt managed before sinking off back to his dark slumber.  
_Sleep Newt. _The voice echoed in his head.

He wished that he could have stayed awake as he stood in the dark landscape of his dreams.

The sky burned with a black onyx flame like it always did in the war zone whenever he would look up at the fractured expanse. The ground around him cracked as various pieces of buildings rose to surrounding him, making him stagger back with every step and stare as claustrophobia set in deeper. The lyrics and tune from the song which had been so sweet to him before now ran through his fevered mind.

_I feel the adrenaline moving through my veins. _He turned around watching as a silhouette took up position on the spire of every broken building around him, grinning down with wide pearly teeth and shadowed faces, only showing those dark grins and glowing golden eyes which had a deep blood lust hunger to them.

Newt backed up slightly while that tune became deafeningly loud in his mind, nearly making him double forward.

_ Spotlight on me and I'm ready to break. _

He threw himself back, scrambling through the black gravel, trying to get a sure footing while those above him laughed, leaping through the air and into shadows.

Newt skidded to a halt as he rounded around the corner of the burning buildings to see the clad in black figure while their cloak billowed out behind them, their palms and fingers turned out while the material pulled back to show deep rouge tainted bandages wrapped around their hands and up to their elbows. Dressed just like Jonathan but the molten colour moving through this boy's torso material was smoldering a slow magma gold.

_I'm like a performer, the dance floor is my stage. _

"What is going on!" Newt tried to call out but his voice was muted and fell crushed into silence. The air which should have been in his chest and the sound with it only flooded out, leaving him to fall to his knee in a crouch.

Like an angel Newt saw the blonde boy of Thomas' words glow in front of his eyes, resting a hand on his cheek. Those kaleidoscope eyes were so soft in their appearance that Newt had nearly only just believe they were emerald when he had first seen them. It was the same boy he had first set his eyes on the moment the box had opened up. But now the boy was wrapped in a white shroud, bare beneath a white shirt, pearly cloak and a pair of shorts. No markings from the kiss of the Wicked lingered on his body. _"Fox"_ Newt's mute lips formed the name, but as he looked more deeply he saw that this was barely the boy he knew. Yes it was the same person, but completely different. This was the soul inside Fox... _"Harry."_ The boy above him began smiling.

Newt buried his head against the glowing ghost like chest and watched as the pearly white wings of the angel wrapped around him, bringing the momentary building pain in his head to a finish. Tears fell from Newt's eyes with unspoken pain as the music died out for a moment in his head and became but a gentle back tune, repeating the first few lines. Only Fox's hold remained around him.

But just like the real thing it didn't last as Fox's hold loosened and the music became a deafening roar back in Newt's head and ears, making the boy wince as he stared up at Fox.

_Better be ready._

That smile twisted onto itself as the boy's face became distorted by pain and the angel like image of the boy vanished in a swarm of white feathers from the angel wings he had arched around them both, blinding Newt in a flurry for a moment before a black shadow launched towards him.

_Hope that ya feel the same._

A knife which had been pointed at his throat stabbed deeply into the ground of the gravel while those golden eyes and pearly smile were lit up beneath the hood by a flash of brilliant lightning, making the shadows of the boy in front of Newt seem all that more darker.

_All eyes on me in the center of the ring. Just like a circus_

Newt dove back again, kicking up onto figure's chest so the boy flipped over him instead of tackling him, but the cloaked boy got a good slash in along his leg and made the blonde scream out.

_When I crack that whip everybody gonna trip. Just like a circus_

Newt scrambled back to his feet as the figure rose from their crouch, licking slowly Newt's blood off the dagger.

_Don't just stand watching me,_

**SLASH**

_ follow me,_

**SLASH**

_show me what you can do._

Newt screamed as the figure bounded back from every leap that he made, always landing some slash onto Newt, along his arm, bicep, leg, his cheek, and with every blitz like strike, Newt had hardly any chance to think of running before he was hit at another angle by this shadow like person.

_Everybody let go _

**SLASH**

_We can make a dance floor_

The knife plunged deeply into Newt's chest and the blonde's mouth twisted open widely with an unheard scream and roar of agony while the figure only twisted their shadow like mouth up into a dark grin, licking the blood from the blade before shoving it back in hilt deep to the blonde's heart.

_Just like a circus._

**_-Break-_**

Newt lunged back up out of his dream panting and heaving for breath as he felt his hand over his chest. No dagger. No knife. No he was fine. No golden eyes smirking down at him. No fucking strange music. Thank fuck.

He looked around, still hyperventilating till a hand came to rest on his shoulder, no longer with those molten glowing golden eyes watching him, but just an ordinary boy in shorts and a shirt, smaller than him, just about old enough to not be considered a kitten under a queen any more in the camp. The boy had hazel soft eyes and pale skin. His hair was wavy curls which were shorter on the side but a wild mess on top.

"Easy there." His voice held a soft tremble from the cold which gnawed into them both.

After a minute or two and the boy's comforting kind words, Newt found that his breathing eased up and became more bearable, his heart going back into normal rhythm. "There we go." The boy said softly, bringing over a wooden cup filled with fresh water. Newt took a slow sip of it and let the sweetness of the flavor which came with it run down his dry throat. He could taste the sweetness of strawberries and over fruits mixed among the fresh spring water. There was also something else in there, slightly thicker than the water but not enough of it to change the actual drink itself, it had a different taste but was crushed down by the sweetness of the mixed fruits. "He said that you would wake up soon. I was beginning to doubt him." The boy shook his head slightly but gave a soft smile. "Me and my two mates found you out in the storm. I couldn't believe it when I saw it was you Newt!" The sweet boy smiled, taking the cup back from the blonde when Newt coughed, still feeling dizzy and his head spin like mad.

But now his vision was clearer, Newt managed to look around and see better of the large room that he was housed in... though Cabin would have probably been a better word to describe where he was! The room was at least twice the size of his room and the bed easily big enough to fit up to three people with plenty of space to go around. The floor was laid down with various patches of sewn material to make a warm feeling beneath the feet, especially during these cold weeks when snow would come down, and a fire roared away happily in a stone chimney across the room by a large seating table.

Newt could see that the only other rooms were a bathroom area, a washing area and a small various, but large closet full of herbs and varied plants, vials of liquids and material items such as a few different amount of clothes which would custom to the harsh season that they got out here.

The boy set the cup down on the bedside table where a few candles were lit and flickered away contently in the dim light of the dark afternoon. "It must have been a long while. My name is Luke. It's been a long time Newt. I guess it's only fair though, you saved me from the box, so now it seems fit that I help the boy who nurses you back to health!" Luke smiled away happily, walking over to one of the tables to grab one of the various vials which had been left out in a line with different labels on- _sun rise, sun set, after noon, before food, after food. _Each note had the same cursive writing but the words were slightly unsteady, like the hand which had wrote them was struggling with what they were doing.

But for all Luke's kind words and whatever the boy was doing. Newt was just staring off into the air, still haunted by the visions of his nightmare, his hand still resting lightly above his chest where the boy in the dream had stabbed him. "The boy said that you may be a bit shaken when you wake up. You came down with quite a violent fever out there." Luke said softly. "For a few days we weren't sure that either of you were going to make it."

Newt's gaze snapped over to Luke instantly as the smaller boy ran a hand through his hair and seemed to be gazing off himself.

"But the moment the other boy woke up. Man, even as weak as he was, you should have seen him. Refusing food and telling us to give it to you while he worked. I've never seen someone so hurt or worried before. He worked most of the nights, not sleeping until he had mixed various vials and herbs. He said that during the fever you may come down with a few hallucinations, but he-"  
"Will you. Shut up. For just a minute." Newt snapped.

Luke fell silent instantly, his chirpy nature falling quiet as the blond glowered into the air, his mind a mess of thoughts with his sleep. But still he knew that he had done wrong by speaking to the kid with such a venomous tone. Luke was just trying to help. "Sorry kid." Newt said gently, pushing his palms harshly against his eyelids and groaning as he bit his lip softly. "I'm just a bit... out of it still I guess."  
"It's okay." Luke pushed for a small smile. "I was being overbearing."  
"The other boy." Newt said, looking around the large room and out the doorway which stood open slightly, letting in a faint wisp of the cool breeze outside. "Where is he? You know the boy who-"  
"The boy who brought you back to health." Luke smiled.  
"What?"  
"I told you!" Luke said softly, offering Newt the cup again with a fresh refill and with the added contents of a small vial. "The other boy who we found with you. He had a nasty injury to his leg. We thought he wouldn't be able to go, but when we messaged the camp saying that you were waking up and we found out that your friend... Thomas is it? Was coming, the boy just started swearing and left, leaving all these before doing so."  
"He left?" Newt said sadly.  
"But every night, he stayed by your bed." Luke quickly added, trying to get the blond to smile. "He never left your side. Not for a moment! Not to even look after himself much."

Newt's hand reached up slowly feeling something on his cheek which he hadn't notice before. Something felt left there... something stronger than a glancing touch. "Interesting." Luke said softly.  
"What? What is?"  
"That's exactly where he kissed you." Luke chirped before he skipped happily out of the room. "You must really love him!"

Newt's stared after the boy.

_Uh...what?_

**_-Break-_**

He had been out here now for a week or two, growing stronger and stronger with each day, the fever which had wracked through him seemed to be breaking and fracturing apart day by day. He had even managed to keep most of his food down this week and even walked for the first time, though he had nearly passed out when Thomas had arrived and told him that Newt had been gone for a month.

Now Newt was lent against the tree house railing with a warm drink keeping his hands warm as he watched Thomas and two other boys walk off into the forest area, talking quietly about which way Newt's golden eyed hero had set off in. The blond watched Thomas walking away, the brunette cast one last loving look which Newt reciprocated before Thomas led the walk away and left Luke and Newt alone to their height in the tree and the whispers of the wind. "I s-still don't understand." Newt blushed watching how Luke lent forward against the railing with a soft smile.

Luke's collar caught the light as the two named wrote in silver gleamed against the pure black leather, but the boy only reached up a hand to touch the tag which hung from it, Luke smiling fondly when his fingers ran over it with a nostalgic memory. "What?"  
"You don't just have one mate..." Newt blushed, shaking his head. "But two!"  
"And?" Luke just rose an eyebrow and Newt's cheeks turned an even deeper red.  
"How... How the shuck did you guys- I mean, if there was two- but it's just- and-"  
"It's so much fun to fluster you!" Luke chuckled, his hazel eyes sparkling as he shook his head, smiling from ear to ear while Newt was just turning pink from embarrassment. "Yes, I fell in love with two guys, both who love me and love each other." Luke shrugged. "Problem?"  
"N-No, it's just... I don't understand how-"  
"You don't understand how three people can be in a relationship." Luke smiled but said gently, deciding to tone it down when he noticed how bashful Newt was becoming. "Any particular reason you want to know?" The ink haired boy asked teasingly but then only laughed when Newt shot him a glare. "Okay, okay. What do you want to know? I will do my best to answer you honestly and truthfully." He carried on, like it was the most ordinary thing in the world, though Newt guessed that to Luke, it probably was.  
"Isn't it- well... isn't it difficult?"  
"Well, yeah, absolutely. Obviously." Luke shrugged. "But what relationship isn't!"  
"Good point." Newt muttered, considering his past and only two relationships as examples. "But I mean, isn't it difficult-"  
"Sharing?" Luke smirked while Newt blushed and nodded, finding it so awkward that he was talking about this with a kid who was about two years younger than him and only stood up to his chest! "Well, the thing about a relationship like this, there has to be trust, probably even more so than with a two way relationship." Luke said thoughtfully, leaning his palm into his hand as he stared off into the distance. "Billy and Tyler and loving and caring. They are amazing and I know that for as long as I live, I will never love anyone else the way that I love them both." Luke just smiled that soft happy smile, a look that Newt hadn't seen on most people around here since he had woken up here himself.  
"So how does it work with... dates... and..." Newt trailed off slightly, blushing once more.  
"Well, considering we're on an island, there isn't much date wise we can do." Luke shrugged. "But we make it by. We go by a seven day routine. The first day and night, Billy and Tyler go out, the second is pretty much the same. Third and fourth day. It's me and Billy. Fifth and Sixth, it's me and Tyler, then on the seventh we all go out together." Luke shrugged.  
"You seem to have it down to an art." Newt shook his head, staring off into the distance. "You make it look so easy."  
"Oh, it was anything but." Luke chuckled. "That's why we moved out here, to the outskirts of the camp. A lot of people thought we were weird because of it. So we decided that we'd rather have each other than be divided because we love each other."

Newt stared off into the distance after Thomas, his thoughts lingering on the brunette and his own little Cubby.

"Why." Luke continued. "Would we allow ourselves not to be together, in love and happy, just because of other people's insecurities. We three have each other." Luke shrugged. "That's all we need. And we're happy."

Newt's thoughts lingered on the words for a long moment.

"But then again. It's just a shame about that golden eyed boy." Luke continued. "I could tell from the way he cared for you... the way that he left when he heard that Thomas was coming out here for you. The way that he had cried but tried to hide it." Luke said softly, watching Newt's eyes become pained heavily. "I could tell that he loved you both."

Newt shook his head and turned, moving back into the cabin and leaving Luke outside alone to stare off into the forest sadly. "I just hope this storm passes soon." He said quietly before following Newt back inside and closing the door.

For a few minutes the forest was empty.

But in a blink a shadow swept past the tree house, with a trail of tears blinking through the air, before the figure went crashing out the air and smashed into the ground of the snow, not even bothering to cry out in pain, but remained only laying still as a corpse. Letting the flakes of snow fall down onto their cloak as when a mask slowly fell away from beneath the hood, two unfocused golden eyes wept into the freezing snow.


	19. Reunited at last

**Hi everyone. Thank you to everyone who has favorite and followed this story**** ^_^ Thanks as always to ****fiercetiger333 for all your lovely reviews and comments! ^_^ ****Have a nice day/night wherever you are. Warning: Story contains boyxboy, swearing, scenes of violence. As promised here's another update!**

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_**-Flash back-**_

Harry sighed softly, his fingers trembling as Thomas watched him reach down to his flask on his belt. The sun and the heat were scorching into them blindingly as they were struggling with each long paced step. The powder like sand was clambering into their feet, making every sure paced step more agonizing and frustrating to them. The sun was blaring away above them giving them no true moment of peace but leaving them only to continue on as they had been walking now since before dawn. They took breaks every now and then in the shelter of buildings, careful never to disturb a crank nest.

"Thomas." Harry said softly, looking over to where the brunette had just slumped against the harsh sand, drawing long and pained breaths. The boy's lips were cracked and dried out, his brow beaded with sweat while heavy shadows of exhaustion hung under his eyes. "C-Come on." The blonde managed as he slung the much taller boy's arm over his own shoulder and lifted him.

Thomas wanted to do nothing more than just give up and lay there in the sand till he would be buried by it. But then what would he do about Harry. He had already taken a quiet vow for the boy, he had to keep moving, he had to keep going. "I-I'm fine." Thomas tried with a croak of his voice but only managed to stumble a bit in his steps, Harry shoulder the majority of his weight, taking their steps a lot more slowly now but at least they were still moving.

_It all just seems so endless. _Thomas thought, staring across further to the distance and back. They had passed the mountains a few days back only to come more across this endless desert and sand dunes. At least the first time they had found something, but now? A week out here and all they had managed to do was to stumble around, obviously setting off in some direction that Harry had come from.

The blonde had been telling Thomas for days now a story about a place where the buildings rose out the ground like towers. About a place where some part of civilization still prospered. A place where people busied themselves as much as they could, working. A place where the sand expanded into a gigantic length of water which seemed to go on forever.

Thomas fantasized about diving into it after being in this heat for so long.

After another ten minutes of stumbling they finally came to a small bit of ruin sticking out of the sand, a bit of a staircase which was still crumbling away. It wasn't much but the concrete floor was a grateful change from the shifting sand. The small bit of shade was more relief than Thomas could have ever even actually begged for. "Y-You're pushing yourself too hard."

Both collapsed onto the concrete floor into the shadow, gasping for breath. The shade was almost like an instantaneous drug, rushing through both of them. But Thomas was worried about Harry, the blond was gasping for breath still. His bandaged fingers curled into a fist, giving Thomas the sight he had feared since they had been in that cave.

Harry's vest was tainted red with trails of blood from where he had been shot.

"Y-You're pushing yourself too hard."  
"There's not much water left." Harry said bitterly, as though he hadn't even heard Thomas at all. But the taller boy knew why Harry's tone was so harsh. It wasn't because of the fact that there was barely a mouthful left if they shared, but because of this whole situation. Because they were wondering through this hell. Because they were screwed over. Because this had happened to them!

He couldn't however keep the voice in his head quiet as he slumped against the wall, Harry crumpled forward on the floor in the shade as both were beyond exhausted and crushed with the labor of what they were doing.

But still something defiant glared out from Harry as the boy with tight and pained breaths pushed himself up to his knees, his arms giving out a couple of times as the boy just lay there. His body spent from how hard they had been pushing themselves to keep moving ahead of the guards who were still in pursuit of them.

Harry had already killed two last night who had stealthily caught both boys off guard. Meaning they pretty much hadn't slept in over twenty four hours and the toll was becoming far more easily clear. Like now as the boy could barely even push himself into sit up.

But when he finally did, Thomas didn't have the energy to stop him when the boy pulled the canteen out and examined it. "Come on Thomas." He said gently, shedding his cloak, showing his sad face. "I need you to drink this."  
"B-But there won't be any left for you!"  
"My mission was to come and save you. I can't save you if you die of heat stroke and dehydration." Harry's eyes were burdened with the knowledge of what he was doing to himself, but they kept up a kind sparkle for Thomas as the blond gently placed the flask to the boy's lips. "Drink deep Tommy."

Thomas froze at that and for a moment the blonde boy's face distorted, those changing eyes became a soft puppy dog brown and the boy seemed to grow a few inches. His soft voice growing deeper and his frame becoming more muscled. "N-Newt?" Thomas managed, staring with wide eyes as his addled mind became hopeful from the brought on hallucination. "Newt! H-How?!"  
"Hush Tommy." The boy whispered. "Just drink." He kept his voice soft, running his other hand across Thomas' cheek. "Please Tommy, please?"

Those words.

Those bloody words.

The boy nodded slowly and took a deep swig from the canteen, letting it slowly trickle down his throat. "That's it Tommy." Newt's image became more and more distorted till the hallucination broke and Thomas turned his head away, taking a breath. "Have to be careful." Harry said quietly. "Too much right now and you'll be sick... after all I-"

The boy paused, for the first time, pain breaking through his face as he brought his hand to his wounded chest. A gasp escaping him and making Thomas weakly look at him. "I can't afford to lose you." Harry whispered softly.  
"Newt." Thomas whispered softly. "Please don't leave me. Don't leave me."

Thomas knew that it wasn't the boy in front of him, that the blur he was seeing between the both was a trick, but still he couldn't stop the words leaving his mouth. "I'm not leaving you Tommy." Harry said softly, keeping his voice low and calm, though now the pain between labored breaths was becoming more and more evident. "I won't leave you."  
"Newt." Thomas managed before his eyes closed and he fell to his slumber.

It was impossible to tell how long had passed for him after that. An hour? Four? Time lost all meaning in this hell hole, but by the time he woke up, night was dominant and clouds were churning through the sky, a strong breeze picking up and battering against both of them, chilling the harsh temperature of his skin. His fingers however felt rather warm, though he wasn't sure why as he was still in his sleepy daze.

His eyes opened blearily and he saw what was around him. The sand had brushed over a bit onto the concrete but nothing too drastic. Harry's cloak was wrapped around Thomas like a blanket and Thomas couldn't help but start looking for the boy.

Till he noticed a slumped shape not that far away from him.

"Harry?" He asked out, wiping his eyes with the edge of his hand and blinked the last of his daze out of his eyes when he noticed the small fire, half made... with Harry's canteen and belt vials discarded chaotically along the floor nearby.

Some smashed.

"Harry?" He asked again, looking over to the slumped figure, who looked as though to be sleeping.

But the boy was still.

Far too still.

Throwing the cloak off himself he quickly rose to his lead like legs which burned with their exhaustion still. Harry was pale, even with his fair skin the boy looked drastically pale. His lips were slightly blue and Thomas realized when he looked down to his fingers and the small space between both of them why his fingers were rather warm.

They were coated in blood.

Harry's blood.

"Harry!" He called out, shaking the boy slightly but the boy was unresponsive. Barely moving, and his chest wasn't.

"Damn it!" He snarled, looking over the boy and laying him quickly onto his back, unwinding the bandages from the boy's hands and ripping open the front of the boy's vest so the bloody expanse of the boy's skinny ribbed chest was on show. "Oh-" Thomas bit back swearing and slammed his head down onto the boy's chest hearing no beat. "Shit!" He barked.

He had to get the boy's heart going again! He had to!

He wasn't losing some one else!

He quickly wrapped the bandage around the boy's chest where the wound was open and oozed blood slowly, painting Thomas' hands in red for the meantime. He took a deep breath before placing his mouth against the boy's and breathing deeply into the boy's lungs, before placing boy hand's over Harry's heart and pushing down. "You're not dying on me! Not like this you shuck faced git!"  
_He's gonna die. _The voice in his head taunted.  
"Go fuck yourself!" Thomas snapped, breathing back onto Harry's mouth again and pumping onto his chest.

A few minutes passed and nothing happened.

_Just give up. He's dead. Like all the others! Like Alby! Like Gally! Like Newt! He's dead!_

"Wake up!" Thomas shouted, slamming his mouth down one last time and breathing all the air he had left in his own lungs into Harry's, pumping his heart ferociously till the blond began to splutter and cough weakly. "You son of a bitch! You don't get to die on me like that! You hear me!" Thomas snapped, feeling the boy's brow and how the heatstroke was taking it's toll, but there was no water left. The boy was bleeding profoundly but still remained unconscious. _Well done. _The voice in his head nagged. _All you managed to do was prolong the pain of him dying. So, fucking, great. Some leader you are.  
_"I'm gonna keep him alive. I swear."

Thomas glared defiantly down at the boy who trembled pained by his body breaking down.

"I'm not losing you like I lost Newt. Not after now."

Had any one seen him the next morning, they would have seen him leave their camp, staggering blindly in the direction they had been walking the other day, Harry wrapped up in his cloak with his hood pulled over his head, being carried in Thomas' arms as the boy took each step on pained legs, thinking it might be his last. He stumbled up dunes and stopped himself from collapsing down them. Harry's bleeding had slowed but still the boy looked as though he was on death's door. Every hour Thomas changed the bandage, trying to slow it down however he could, but the boy was weak.

Thomas wouldn't stop though. He would walk to the end of the world holding this boy in his arm. He would protect him. He would keep Harry safe and that was his oath. He would keep someone alive. He would be there and guard Harry from whatever came. "I promise." Thomas whispered, kissing the boy's brow. "I promise, I will keep you safe."

That's why when the chopper finally circled ahead above both of them he started to try to run but the chopper only cut him off, blasting sand heavily in his face so he had to turn and shield Harry's body with his own. "I promise." He glared over his shoulder. "I will keep you-"  
"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING WITH HIM!" A voice screamed.

A rope dropped from the flying vehicle and Thomas fell quiet as a blue eyed boy with orbs like sapphire and hair as red as blood sprinted over. "Give him to me!"  
"I'll kill you before you do! WICKED is getting kids to do their dirty work again!? I'll kill you before you lay a hand on him!"  
"I'm here to protect him you crazy son of a bitch!" The boy snapped. Pulling his coat closer around himself. "My name is Jonathan and I'm here to save my brother's boyfriend! Now give him to me!"

_**-End of flash back-**_

"What's on your mind shank?" one of the two boys wondered as Thomas had been quiet now for the last hour they had spent walking back to the cabin. Thomas thought that the boy had been Billy, maybe, he wasn't paying that much attention to them he had been too focused on trying to find Fox, but like with all their other searched they had come up with nothing. It had been nearly three months now since he had met the boy in the war zone.

The last year that they had spent together, everything that had made Thomas feel alive and worth fighting for again, it had been ripped away from him when he had realized who the crimson and white haired boy was and that little shit Jonathan had turned Fox (though to Thomas, the boy would always be his Harry.), against Thomas and Newt.

"Watch who you open your mouth to kid." Thomas growled, walking forward and ahead of the two so he wouldn't have to talk to them.

Honestly.

If it wasn't Jonathan's older brother making his life a hell because of Harry, then it was that little blue eyed fu-

"THOMAS!"

He looked up quickly as he saw Luke stood on the balcony of his cabin. "I-I think that maybe you may want to come in here quickly!" Luke's face was flushed with worry and his body was set with a tense stance.  
"Is it Newt?!" He called out.  
"TOMMY!"  
"I'm coming Newt!" He shouted as in a flash he took the rope and was hoisted up onto the balcony before he burst into the cabin. "Newt, what's wrong, what's-"

His heart became instantly ice cold and he froze in the doorway when Luke stood aside and let him see across to the bed. He couldn't believe it even though it was right there in front of his eyes. His hopes, his wishes, his efforts for the last two months. "Newt-"

But he fell silent as he saw a warm bronzed skin boy lay beneath the covers of the bed with Newt laid next to him. The boy's crimson and white hair was splayed back, his brow was beaded with sweat and the obvious signs of a heavy fever. Newt kept a finger to his lip, gently placing a soft cloth across the ill boy's brow.

"Harry." Thomas whispered with wide disbelieving eyes.  
"We found him outside, passed out in the snow, he must have been out there for an hour before we finally saw him." Luke said gently. "I'll let you three be alone. Me, Billy and Tyler will be back in a bit. We will go and get some logs for the fire. Take as much time as you need." He closed the door with a smile behind Thomas.

Newt just hummed softly and smiled over at Thomas as he tucked Fox in. "Now it's our turn to make sure that you get better."  
"What if he tries to run again." Thomas stammered, his eyes still locked onto the boy with absolute disbelief.  
"Oh, I planned ahead this time." Newt smirked, pointing to the tight bound cuffs which were attached to the bed frame and Fox's wrists.  
"Kinky." Thomas said, still staring at the slumbering boy, finding that his memory of that day in the scorch was haunting him right now. But Newt blushed as he thought about where he had found the cuffs... after originally having had them made for a whole different use and situation.  
"Tommy what's wrong. You look like you've seen a ghost." Newt frowned. "I thought you'd be happy! I thought-"

The blond was silence as Thomas all but ran over and heavily kissed him on the mouth. "Oh Newtie, I'm happy. I really am. I haven't been this happy for so long." He ran his fingers through Newt's blond hair kissing the boy's forehead. "I just- I'm seeing a few ghosts today I guess. I have a lot on my mind." Newt just nodded and pulled Thomas to lay down on Fox's other side.

The red and white haired boy whimpered softly and turned over, burying his head into Newt's chest while the blond just hushed him softly. "He spent all his time trying to try and get me to feel better-"  
"And in the process he didn't look after himself." Thomas said bitterly, his eyes sad with the amount of pain that Fox was writhing in.

But that's when he finally noticed something about the boy.

"Uh Newt?"  
"I know." The blond stated with a tight voice.

Thomas traced his finger along the markings around Fox's eyes and his cheek. The boy's cloak and clothes were folded and drying out near the fire, so except for where his torso and leg were bandaged, it meant that Thomas could now see the ink black lines which before had been only lightly tanned skin! Now they looked like they had actually been tattooed on but there was no disturbance to the skin! It was like the actual skin of the branding itself had just turned onyx!

The boy's ribs were showing painfully against his skin and over all the boy still had some of his muscles, but he looked malnourished! Like he had starved himself! "This is why I can't leave you to look after yourself!" Thomas growled, shaking his head. "You always look after everyone else but yourself Harry!"  
"He's here now." Newt said softly, smiling as he leaned in and placed a kiss on Fox's cheek.  
"And where do we go from here?" Thomas asked.  
"Well first, we get him back to health and then... I'm gonna kill him for making himself ill!" Newt growled. "Then I'm gonna kiss the shank."  
"You're always so possessive." Thomas grinned, huddling closer to Fox and wrapping his arms around the boy as Newt did the same. "But then, I think that all three of us need to have a nice little chat."  
"Then I think it's a good thing that I fixed the collar." Newt smirked. "But first, let's actually get him to like us again?"  
"You're right, you're right." Thomas nodded closing his eyes. "But for now, I think I could do with a nice long sleep."  
"You and me both." The blond agreed as both sank back into a deep sleep, holding fox between them and sharing their warmth.

Neither knew that even with Fox back, the really difficulties were just about to begin.


	20. Slow and steady won the race

**Hi everyone. Thank you to everyone who has favorite and followed this story**** ^_^ Thanks as always to ****fiercetiger333 for all your lovely reviews and comments! ^_^ ****Have a nice day/night wherever you are. Warning: Story contains boyxboy, swearing, scenes of violence. How's this for a quick update?**

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Newt turned over in his sleep, still unable to get the thick smile off his face, be had fallen asleep and slept through the night for the first time since he had slumbered with Fox and Thomas last. The warmth was still there between him and the comfort threatened to send him straight back to his slumber and it's endless depths. He didn't want to move. Not when Thomas had an arm wrapped around his waist and Newt had a protective hold on the body between him and the brunette.

The grin spread over his face as he could feel the faint and ever so slight movements beneath him from the cocooned bare boy.

_I wonder how long he will last-_

Newt felt fingers lightly brush over his and he could just imagine Tommy's face trying not to grin. _Let's see how long he will last. _He just feel Thomas' grin against his hair as both boy's curved around Fox, still sharing their warmth with the cold boy. _Oh he won't last long. _Newt thought, knowing just how short Fox's patience was. The boy was patient sure when he was setting up one of his traps. But when Fox was out of his comfort he would always rear back like an angry snake, he would strike carefully, which was why this situation had to be handled all the more carefully.

"Newt you son of a bitch, I know you're awake! Let me out of these fucking cuffs now before I knee your boyfriend in the balls! Then see just how fucking good he is to you!"

Newt chuckled softly as he blinked his eyes half open tiredly, a slight smile played on his exhausted face. He blinked a couple of times before his face broke out into a smirk. He said nothing but just closed his eyes and pulled the smaller boy closer against his chest. "Lovely to see you too Fox." He smiled then felt Fox's fists ball up into his shirt as the boy couldn't move without throwing Newt off the bed.  
"Don't play games Blondie! Now let me out!" The boy snapped.

Newt finally blinked his eyes open fully and turned his head down to look at the blushing bronze and now blank branded face of Fox who still had rose blush cheeks. His eyes which seemed to still be glowing a molten gold were focused directly on the center of Kyle's chest where his hands were bundled up. "Morning Cubby."  
"Unshackle. Me." Fox enunciated coldly his eyes growing harsher but Newt just smirked. "Well it seems to be the only way to actually keep you around without that little shit whispering in your ear."  
"I'll be outside." Thomas said softly, sitting up and beginning to leave the room.  
"Don't trip and break your neck." Fox muttered quietly, glaring into space strangely, his eyes glazed over almost, but Newt shook that thought out of his head. Fox just kept up the glare though Newt moved his gaze away from the red and white haired boy to look at Thomas who had a looked like a kicked puppy, his eyes pained than anything.

Newt knew it had to be quite hard on Thomas, to see Fox like this. Not long ago it would have been just Fox and Thomas, whatever their relationship may have been, (Newt would make sure that he found out about that later before any plans were made), now though thanks to that little prick Jonathan's whispering, Newt had absolutely no idea where he stood with the boy.

He nodded encouragingly to the brunette who looked like he was struggling to keep a straight face. "Tommy, go right ahead and get some fresh air, you look a bit feverish. I'll give you a call when we're ready to be civilized. I just want to see the damage."  
"Newt, let him rest as well-"  
"What the fuck does it matter to you if I rest or not!" Fox snapped, now beginning to push Newt away as he tried to sit up but only let out a hissed pain and fell back the moment he righted himself.

Thomas stood in the doorway for a long moment staring back at the two boys with a pained sad look now clear in his eyes. "It will matter more than you will ever know." He said softly making Fox tense up and Newt to look down at the boy who's face masked his confusion. _Nice try Fox. You can't hide it from me-_

The boy's head snapped back up to look at him. _"You fucking think so?" _Fox's voice whispered in his head, making Newt topple and crash out the bed the moment the door was closed.  
"What the fuck-"  
"Cut the innocent act!" Fox snapped. "I've heard most of it over the last couple of months! I've had enough of talking! Talking and too many stupid words! I'm sick of them! I'm sick of everyone's words! Cut it out and just shut up!" The red head snapped, tugging on the heavy link of his wrist shackles and pulling harder and more ferociously. Had he been in his top condition Newt was pretty sure that from the weak leather shackles and the old chains which kept them wrapped to the bed post, that Fox could have broke them away easily.

But the fact of the matter was that Fox was ill, malnourished seeming to have starved himself. His cheeks and eyes were sunken and the boy looked as though he hadn't eaten for who knows how long! Had the thick black circles not been around those golden eyes, Newt guessed the boy would have had shadows wrapped around them any way.

Instead he just slowly pulled himself to his feet and looked down at fox who's eyes were still defiantly glaring straight ahead of him. _So all this time... it wasn't just me pleading for him to come back which brought him.  
_

Fox had his jaw set stubbornly and pulled one last time harshly on his shackles which didn't move, but only brushed the quilt off his leg to show Newt the strange black markings which now pretty much outlined the boy's skeleton, though on his leg there were patches where the black lines wound into sharp thorn like points around the bones. He still couldn't understand what those branding meant, why such a vicious change had happened to Fox, or how the boy had actually even managed to survive that encounter.

But he was pleased that the boy had.

"Okay, now that Thomas is gone." He said softly, "first of all you can shut up for a bit and listen to me. Then you can talk. Do you understand me. It's just me and you in here. No one else."  
_"Are you sure, Newton?" _Fox voice echoed, making Newt wince slightly as he felt the oncoming pang of a headache.

Fox just smirked to himself.

"I'll play fair, if you do. Deal Cubby?" Newt asked softly waiting a couple of long drawn out minutes till Fox just gritted his teeth and nodded. "It's been a while. I heard that you helped me get back to health." Newt began softly.  
"You can't look after yourself." Fox snapped.  
"You're throwing stones in glass houses there." Newt growled, watching how Fox backed down, waiting for the blond to continue.  
"Your point." Fox growled.  
"You spent months away from me, all because of Thomas? Luke told me that you left the first mention you heard Thomas' name and that he was coming to find me."  
"I wanted to give you and your _mate _some privacy-"  
"Jealousy Fox. Really?" Newt said softly.  
_"SHUT UP!"_

Newt flinched back and held his head, noticing how Fox tensed up immediately though the boy kept his eyes ahead of him now on the wall. _He hasn't got as much control over it as he thinks he does. _Newt clung the thought to himself, watching how Fox hadn't reared angrily like he had done with the last few times a thought had escaped the blond. "You did what you always do Fox. You thought that I wasn't happy with you because off..."  
"Say it." Fox snarled.  
"Because you thought you wasn't good enough." Newt whispered gently, reaching out and resting his fingers on Fox's cheek.

The boy flinched like the gesture had come as a surprise to him and he hadn't been expecting it.

Newt frowned but shook his head once again. "I left because I thought you would be much happier with a normal guy, than with a freak. Besides. I saw what happened. In the forest when you came to get me." Fox's glare doubled and Newt couldn't help it when he had to look away and rubbed the back of his neck. "I saw you kiss him."  
"Fox, you're going to have to trust me here-"  
"You're with him." Fox snapped.  
"I found out some stuff about you." Newt said quietly.

It was instantly like dropping an explosion in the room as Newt felt the tension almost literally roll off the over boy in a thick wave. Fox's eyes burned brighter for a long moment and Newt took his chance to ease himself back down next to the boy when Fox began trembling once more, though with his fevered mind and his exhausted pained body, the bandages around the boy's leg was still red from where he was recovering from their incident in the ice lake, Newt knew this had to be careful but he was just getting nowhere.

Fox didn't move as Newt took his seat and lent back against the headboard, looking down at smaller boy with sad eyes. Fox was tensed, ready to spring away if he had been allowed to but his shackles were already giving him as much space as they would allow. "Fox, please. It's me."  
"Newton." The boy said coldly.  
"Fine then. Call me by my name, what ever. You can pretend I'm not your blondie and I can pretend that you're not my Cubby." Newt's voice became harsh and he watched the boy respond for the first time. "But you're gonna have one massive problem because you know what? It's not just me who knows a bit about you before that wicked got you, Thomas does too, because you spent a whole fucking year keeping him alive!"

Another quite explosion of tension went off.

Newt waited another long quiet minute as he watched the boy. Watching how Fox kept up staring off into space and not looking at him. Refusing to meet Newt's gaze but instead grit his teeth slightly, flush with red in his cheeks or even pale slightly. "Cubby." Newt continued softly, shaking his head. "You have a poor taste in some people." Newt chuckled gently, thinking about Jonathan. "But you know the truth when it leaves someone's lips. That's why you haven't said anything else yet about Thomas. That's why you went to such lengths to save him out there in the war zone... Yes Thomas told me all about the crazy stunt you did."  
"Was that before or after you asked him to be your mate."  
"There it is." Newt smirked.

Fox's face flushed immediately with an angry blush but the boy gritted his teeth together.

Newt however had finally come down to the one thing that he knew that Jonathan would have been building up on from the moment that little bastard had begun to spy on him and Thomas. "I haven't asked Thomas to be my mate." Newt said softly.

Immediately it was like it's own drug in the air as Newt watched Fox's shoulders become less tensed. "Is that why you kept running from camp? I know that deep down you feel something for Thomas. You spent time with him, the memories may have been erased but I know you fox. I know that in your mind it doesn't matter the amount of time or distance someone can be apart. I know that you still feel that bond, and that scared you. So you ran."  
"Shut up Newt."  
"I know that you ran because you didn't know how to feel-"

The blond let Fox slam him down as the weaker boy gritted his teeth, staring down blankly at Newt's chest, tears gathering around those golden orbs and splashing on Newt's clothes while the bare boy just trembled violently, trying to hold himself up. "You don't know anything about how I feel! You don't! Just shut up!"  
"I know that you love me." Newt whispered.

Fox froze stunned.

"And I know that I love you too."

Newt just caught the boy when Fox's bony arms gave out and the boy collapsed onto Newt's chest, beginning to try and fight to break away but too weak to do so. "I love you." Newt said over and over again softly, brushing his fingers through Fox's crimson and snow hair. "I love you."

After half an hour the boy finally stopped fighting against the blond, then just a bit later after that, he finally fell asleep, whimpering meekly as the fever took it's course. Newt made sure to keep a wet and cool flannel on the boy's forehead and kept Fox tucked under the blankets.

He made sure that Fox was deep asleep before he tiptoed away from the bed and quietly open then closed the door behind him, turning and folding his arms around himself and his coat as the cold winter breeze battered against him. The snow had at least become softer falling and had less of a harsh bite against him but still the trees and ground were covered in white and the weather had no idea of stopping any time soon.

Thomas turned and offered a timid smile as he saw Newt walk across the floorboard balcony to him. "I was worried when it went quiet, I thought he may have killed you."  
"I think he wanted to try." Newt joked shaking his head slightly with a sad smile and taking a spot next to Thomas as he lent on the railing and stared out across the trees. "Something is... different about him Tommy." Newt frowned slightly. "It's not just the brands, he was always sensitive about them before, but he seems more... guarded. More defensive."  
"More aggressive." Thomas agreed. "He acted like a wounded animal-"  
"Exactly!" Newt whispered softly, trying to keep his voice low. "Something has changed and it's bloody annoying me that I can't figure out what it is."

Thomas thought for a moment, he had been awake most of the night, holding onto Fox and Newt. He agreed absolutely and completely. It wasn't like the times that he had held his Harry when the boy had been taken into an infirmary back in their base before they had woken up here. It wasn't even like when Thomas had held the boy barely a couple of months ago. Something about Fox seemed a lot more... openly vulnerable now.

"You don't just think it was the fact that he saw it was me?"  
"Tommy, he could have slit your throat easy in there, strangled you, castrated you. He could have even done that months ago when he wasn't shackled." Newt smirked. "I know Fox. He feels things and he feels them strongly. He spends so much time suppressing his emotions that they come back to bite him on the arse. He says he hates you." Newt watched the pain flinch through Thomas' gaze.

Though both boys fixed themselves momentarily, falling quickly into silence as Luke smiled at them and walked past saying a quick. "I'm just going to go and check on him."

Newt's eyes traced the movement till the door was closed and he was sure that they couldn't be heard. "But if he hated you, he wouldn't have run away from me either. What ever you two went through in that year. What ever it is that you're not telling me." Newt said a bit more sternly making Thomas blush and turn his gaze away slightly. "It's still there, but just as it should do when you're actually just a stranger to him. He's scared that he has such strong feelings for someone he doesn't think he knows!"  
"This is going to take time isn't it." Thomas said, turning his gaze out across to the winter snow which crushed all other colour and flower life as far as the eye could see.  
"We just spent months trying to find him Tommy." The blond said softly. "Let's be grateful for any small victory that we get." Newt moved over and wrapped his arms around Thomas, rubbing his hands up and down the boy's shoulders to warm the brunette up. "We'll get there eventually, but for now. I guess we will just have to take it slow and steady. He's stubborn certainly." Newt kissed Thomas' cheek. "But it's a good thing then that we are also!" He beamed and both boy's chuckled softly, huddling together against the cold.

Luke however inside the cabin was slowly easing away the bandage around Fox's leg as the ill boy began to stir faintly. Fox's golden eyes staring up to the ceiling above him without much focus. "Hey." Luke smiled but spoke softly, as he finished setting the bandage and poured the correct amount of medicine into the wooden cup of fresh water he had gotten. "You're up? You look like you had a nice sleep."  
"It was nice until it ended." Fox said bitterly, rolling over into the space and position he had been in before when Thomas and Newt had wrapped him in their warm embraces.  
"You're going to have to tell them sooner or later." Luke said gently, watching how Fox curled his hands into fists. The blood drained back from his knuckles as Luke studied him a bit deeper. He knew just how much that Fox hated him at that moment for knowing. "I'm sure they wouldn't say much about it. You have to have a bit more trust in them." Luke continued, not seeing how Fox's grip was turn paler as more and more blood drained from his fist from the incredibly tight grip. "Maybe if I was the one to-"

Luke fell silent as a fist curled into his shirt and Fox lunged, his teeth barely an inch from the boy's neck. His other fist raised and ready to strike but constricted and held back by the chains and shackle. "I'll tell them when hell freezes over." Fox snarled.  
"Well then you better tell them both soon then." Luke said sadly. "Because the ice is setting quite heavy outside."

Luke curtly rose with a sad look, watching Fox sink back with shedding tears to his fever induced dreams and nightmares.


	21. Hell has frozen over

**Hi everyone. Thank you to everyone who has favorite and followed this story**** ^_^ Thanks as always to ****fiercetiger333 for all your lovely reviews and comments! ^_^ ****Have a nice day/night wherever you are. Warning: Story contains boyxboy, swearing, scenes of violence. So I may do one more update after this, but sorry that's all for this week then =)**

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Newt smirked and couldn't help himself as he looked down to find Fox nuzzling closer to him in his sleep. "He's such a cuddly person when he's angry." Newt help back the chuckle which was fighting to break out of him though Thomas just smiled lightly watching the two wanting more than anything to just have his arms wrapped around both of them.

Instead he sat on a chair by the bed slightly away from them both with a book. He had been reading contently in the firelight and the warmth for the last couple of hours. He didn't want to push it any more than he already had tried to with Fox. The boy needed comfort at the moment and needed someone to keep an eye on him to care for him. With Fox's confusion and conflicted emotions towards Thomas at the moment, the brunette wouldn't be doing the boy any help. It took nearly a week to get Fox to even come around to the idea of Thomas being in the same room as him when he's conscious but even so the boy wouldn't even dare look at him.

"Well look at you." Thomas smiled slightly, looking at the happy glow which surrounded Newt. Newt had never seemed so happier in the last couple of weeks since they had managed to get Fox to stay. Of course deep down both of them were terrified that at any moment when the shackles came off the boy would take off running, so they tried to focus on the here and now and right now, Newt had a smile on his face which never seemed to waver.  
"I'm just happy is all, Tommy." Newt said softly, wrapping his arms around Fox a little tighter. The clear amount of love was written across his eyes as he looked between both boys.  
"I know." Thomas sighed. "I know."  
"So are you finally going to tell me then today? What happened to you and Fox, how you both got out of the scorch?"  
"Well it depends." Thomas closed the boy, rocking slightly back and forth in the comfortable chair, his hair was still wet from where he had washed it, Newt couldn't help but admire the boy for his beauty and the way he looked in the firelight though there was still that deep conflict inside of him which gnawed at his thoughts. _You love your ex who is practically the ex of the current guy you're in love with. __This is going to be one messed up love story. _He thought to himself quietly.  
"Tommy." Newt said sternly and watched the other boy just let out a soft sigh.  
"Fine then." Thomas put the book down on the floor next to the chair and lent back lacing his fingers as he went into his thoughts. "Well you see. After the chopper came to pick us up-"  
"Y-Yes. Pl-please do tell." A voice growled quietly.

Newt looked down to see Fox's eyes blearily opening and as always lately just staring blankly into the blond's chest. "Are you okay Cubby?"  
"If you try and make me eat anything else, I'll kick your arse." Fox growled still half asleep as he nuzzled closer to Newt's warmth. Letting out a soft gasp as he did so.

Thomas still couldn't understand lately why that protective nature inside of him was going wild. He knew that it wasn't all down to it just being Fox actually here with them. Every time he found himself watching the boy in his sleep or when he stirred when he was awake, something inside of him would twist painfully. Fox had never looked more vulnerable. Maybe it was the fact that the boy had starved himself and was riddled with his fever, but something nagged in the back of Thomas mind. Something that was so clearly to be seen but was hidden in plain sight.

Even Newt had noticed this change all the more with the boy which is why it was growing even harder to tear the blond away from the boy. To be honest, it was making Thomas slightly jealous that he couldn't hold both boys.

Newt just hushed the boy softly making Fox's eyebrows furrow together as he narrowed his eyes. "You should be asleep Cubby." Newt said softly.  
"I'm under the weather, not a porcelain doll!" Fox argued and Thomas smirked.  
_Same defiant boy with or without memories. _He thought holding back a chuckle.  
"Which is why I'm looking after you, now shut up and have a drink." Newt grinned, holding the cup in his spare hand.  
"I can do it my-"

Thomas frowned watching Fox as the boy stopped himself. He could hear the pride falling apart in the boy's voice while Fox curled his hands into fists, his body becoming still. There it was again, that moment of Fox not as he usually had been able to do was to keep the mask across his face or seem to read Newt's worry. Normally if Fox had seen the worry in Newt's eyes like that or even Thomas' in the old days, then the boy would go off into a further rant about being treated like a doll.

Something just wasn't right here.

"Newt, can I talk to Fox for a minute please?" Thomas lent his chin onto his laced fingers and lent forward slightly in the chair watching the boy carefully. Newt just frowned slightly and looked between the redhead and the other boy.  
"Can you fuck." Fox snarled.  
"Tommy remember." Newt said quietly, looking between both boys as he was pretty sure that leaving both in here like this at the moment was like lighting a fuse on a bomb. "What are you-"  
"Newton." Thomas said stonily making the blond glare at him before he stood.  
"I swear, if either of you two gits fucking call me by that again." The boy grumbled, slamming the door behind him as he left.

Thomas sat for a long while in the quiet of the room, the only noise was the sound of the wood fracturing and breaking apart in the fire. Fox remained as still as a statue and closed his eyes though it was obvious he wasn't asleep. "So I guess this is the first real chance that we've both had to talk to each other."  
"Gee, I wonder why." Fox growled, yanking harshly onto his shackles and making the chain rattle. His eyes ablaze with a glare as he fractionally opened them, staring at the wall ahead of him.  
"So what do you know about me." Thomas stated softly.  
"Only what I've heard."  
"Jonathan's was lying to you, you must know that right?"  
"No Thomas." Fox said, his voice ravaged with sarcasm. "I don't know how to tell the difference between the truth and lies. It had never considered to me that all through Jonathan's bitching about you, he may have ulterior motives about it!" Fox barked and Thomas had to suppress his smile.  
"So what do you know then?"  
"You're Newt's ex."  
"Among other things." Thomas added quietly. "Yes."

Fox just became still on the bed. "I know this all must be confusing for you." Thomas said softly. "But Ha-Fox." Thomas bit his lip as the name had almost slipped reverently out of his mouth. "I'm not here to hurt you or Newt."

Fox refused to look the boy in the eye but instead kept the glare pointed ahead of him.

"I came here because of you-"

Thomas fell quiet as the boy pulled violently against the shackle and tried to lunge across the bed in the direction toward Thomas' voice though if he had been lunging for Thomas then he would have missed.

Fox's aim had never been off before.

Something else that just made Thomas frown.

"You know. I'm here for you, just as much as I'm here for Newt. You may not believe, but you know it's the truth. I will protect you Fox, with my life. I made that promise-"  
"You made that promise to someone you used to know! You don't know me!" Fox barked angrily.  
"But I do-"  
"NO!" The boy was practically nearly screaming now. "YOU REALLY DON'T!"  
"You're terrified of lightning." Thomas said impassively watching how Fox's face immediately fell into the mask he always wore so well of being impassive. _He may not be as good reading people's faces lately, but he's better than ever at hiding his own. _Thomas thought. "You're not scared of many things but you have only three fears. Drowning, a storm in full go and most of all, you're scared of not being there for someone you love." Thomas watched Fox grit his teeth slightly while the boy felt around on the bed and got himself back beneath the covers. It was obvious he was still weak, dizzy even from the way he kept having to rest his head on his knee and close his eyes, never daring to meet Thomas' eyes still but he still kept a defiant look on his face, trying to sit up and hold himself strongly. "I know all this because I've seen it!" Thomas whispered almost pleadingly. "I've seen it! I've seen you! I wouldn't be here without you! I wouldn't be alive without-"

He stopped then as he noticed something.

"Show me your wrists."  
"Go fuck yourself." Fox snarled.  
"Show me your wrists and I won't let Newt see it." Thomas reasoned watching the resolve in Fox's jaw go tighter before the boy shoved out his wrists into the air so that the inside of his arm was facing up and the branded side of his outer arms was facing the floor.

Thick lines oozed fresh blood from where the boy had been pulling on the shackles to cut himself.

_It's almost like we've reversed roles. _Thomas thought shaking his head, remembering the first time that Harry had found him and helped him in the caves.  
"Happy now? Is that what you wanted to see? Go on, go running to Newt and tell him."  
"I just said that I wouldn't, didn't I?" Thomas grabbed a nearby roll of bandages and gauze remembering all that time ago that Harry had actually taught him some basic medical skills, though he had never really had the attention for it. He was regretting that right about now.

So instead he grabbed a handful of snow from just outside the window ledge and walked over to the boy.

Fox nearly jumped out of his skin when Thomas wrapped the bandage and snow around the boy's right wrist but Thomas just frowned. Why was the boy so surprised, it wasn't as though he didn't know it was coming or anything? When however he asked if Fox was okay, the smaller boy just swore under his breath and muttered something about kicking Thomas in the balls.

Thomas eased himself onto the bed and began tying the bandage with a bit more care after that. Maybe it was just because Fox was on edge about the whole situation? Yeah. Newt was probably just right, it was probably just the fact the boy was still ill and quite dazed. But still all of it made Thomas cautious. Something just didn't feel right here.

And he would find out what.

"Well if you two have quite finished yet-"

Newt paused in the open doorway and Fox gritted his teeth, keeping his gaze locked down on the bed.

Newt kept his eyes locked on the long and deep bloody slash marks on the boy's wrists and stared at them. He said nothing but kept tensed. "Newt, It's not as bad as you think." Thomas said.  
"Not as bad-"  
"Newt." Thomas cut the boy off as he had been about to shout. "That will be doing no one any favors. Shouting at Fox because he's done it won't change the fact that he did do it."  
"I'm sick of all these secrets!" Newt shook his head and glared between both of the boys. "I'm so, so sick of the secrets between us three!"

Thomas watched for a moment as Newt paused, the boy's eyes focused on something eyes as they narrowed with concentration, while the blond slightly pushed a palm against his forehead. "Seems there are far too many secrets around here." Thomas agreed, watching Newt turn his gaze away quickly and frown slightly.  
"Why the hell should I care about what I tell you both. Talk about keeping secrets?! Look at you both!" Fox snapped, his fists curled tightly as Thomas went to start on the next wrist then paused.

For a minute he looked at Newt and pointed his gaze towards Fox quietly for the other boy to watch.

Thomas wrapped the bandage quickly around the boy's wrist, and even though he didn't flinch back as harshly, the essence of surprise still seemed to be there. "Fox... are you okay?" Newt asked with a frown, slowly walking over to the bed and taking a seat next to the boy, watching how the boy never lifted his gaze, though fox only ever used to speak to someone directly if he was looking them in the eyes.  
"Newt, maybe now is not the time-"  
"No. You pointed it out, you're right! Something is going on here and I'm sick of it! Now we're gonna sit here until finally someone opens their big trap about what's going on. That includes you too Tommy!"  
"What?! What did I do?"  
"Oh don't give me that innocent act." Thomas could see the fire burning in Newt's eyes as the boy looked on the urge of lashing out. The blonde just threw his shirt onto the nearby chair and grabbed the book off the floor Thomas had been reading. He opened the covers and sat back against the headboard, looking between the red head and brunette. "You're holding more secrets than probably anyone else at this camp!" Newt spat.  
"And you aren't?" Fox sneered.  
"No more than you are." Newt returned.

_**-A few hours later-**_

"You're both as stubborn as anything!" Newt growled looking between both Fox and Thomas. Thomas had his look plastered to the wall and fox had his gaze pierced into the quilt over him, still tugging on the shackle and chains to break out.  
"Newton-"  
"Harry." Thomas snapped.  
"Tommy." Newt growled.  
"ENOUGH!" Fox bellowed, shaking his head violently. "Enough of this! You're going to let me out of these shackles and then I may not wring your necks!"  
"That may actually be a bit harder for you to do now." Thomas said quietly.

Newt watched as in what felt like a single second, a feral rage exploded in Fox's eyes. "You son of a bitch!" He barked. "When! HOW!?"  
"When I put the bandages on and Newt pulled out the book." Thomas said quietly. "I told you, I know you Harry-"  
"Fox!" The boy bellowed. "MY NAME IS FOX!"  
"You will always be my Harry now shut up!"  
"You're arguing like an old marry couple and the three of us aren't even mated yet!" Newt snapped.

Fox snapped his head around to where Newt's voice had come from. "Excuse me?" The boy stammered, though Newt was growing more and more visibly flustered, his face exploding out bright red at his slip up. "MATED?! US THREE?! WHY THE FUCK WOULD-"  
"Because your little mouth does more than just run off with the rest of you, especially when it comes to Newt." Thomas muttered, folding his arms and smirking over at the red head who now got flustered himself.  
"Fox?" Newt blushed, stammering.  
"Oh you want to play that game huh?" Fox barked. "Cause I swear Thomas, if you're my friend. Why did you pull that dagger on me in the night?" Thomas' face exploded out bright pink in a blush while Newt just rose an eyebrow and looked at him. "At least... I think it was a dagger." Fox continued with a growing grin. "It may have been a bit bigger than any other dagger but-"  
"Okay!" Thomas snapped, his face nearly glowing pink from embarrassment and turning his dark gaze away from Newt as he rocked on the chair.  
"Don't fuck with me!" Fox growled, "I'll play the game and I'll always win."  
"Huh, really? Hard to play a game when you're-"  
"Low shot." Fox snapped, cutting Thomas off.  
"We both know that it's only that which gets through to you. Especially now."  
"Will you both just tell me what the fuck is going on." Newt snarled looking between the two boys with a growing frustration.  
"I'd rather be back in that ice water of the lake again." Fox growled.

But finally it began to dawn on Newt, the possibility of an idea of what it may be.

"Fox. Where is Thomas." Newt asked pointedly.  
"I don't care!" The boy snapped. "Now let me out of these chains and go!"  
"Fox you wouldn't even be able to-"  
"SHUT UP!" The boy screamed at Thomas, his voice a shrill of fear and pain. "WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP!"  
"If you don't tell Newt. Then I will."

Thomas moved to his feet and stood over the smaller boy as he glared sharply. "Newt was all about giving you the slow time, but it's going to get us no where because you don't trust us!" Newt watched Thomas' face growing more pained with every word. "But we're both here tyring to look after you because we both fucking love you!"  
"Well then it's a shame that I still don't know you. Isn't it." Fox asked softly, making Thomas flinch back visibly.  
"Cubby." Newt said finally, moving around the back of the boy till h had both arms resting around Fox's waist and his chin resting on the boy's shoulder. "When we were first on the beach after you had been attacked, you trusted me enough to let your guard down and cry into me while I tended to your wounds." Newt kept his voice soft, though still he watched how Fox's eyes didn't move to follow him. "You trusted me enough this far. Why can't you trust me now."  
"Harry." Thomas said, matching Newt's tone. "Tell him."

The red heard growled harshly and yanked ferociously on the chain one last time before everything seemed to finally dawn on him. Fox wasn't going anywhere. He couldn't run away from this like he had done before. There was no hiding the marks on his wrists where he had savagely almost seemed to punish himself for something that had been out of his control.

So finally his shoulder slumped and he felt Newt kiss his cheek as finally the two taller and older boys recognized the defeat in him and the signs of him finally giving up. "Okay? You think you both know me then?" Fox growled. "Fine." He turned with a twisted smile up to Newt's face, with those glowing golden eyes. "I can't see you."  
"What?" Newt frowned.  
"Well honey, it's self explanatory." The false chirpy tone was replaced by a savage and harsh growl. "Newt. I'm blind."

That was all Fox could manage before he burst out into tears.


	22. Secrets within

**Hi everyone. Thank you to everyone who has favorite and followed this story**** ^_^ Thanks as always to ****fiercetiger333 for all your lovely reviews and comments! ^_^ ****Have a nice day/night wherever you are. Warning: Story contains boyxboy, swearing, scenes of violence. Sorry for the late update, but I've just really been unwell with a condition I have, long story short is that it's really messing me up. Sorry again.**

* * *

He knew it was a dream as blearily his eyes opened and he was met with a spectrum which would be denied to him should his real eyes be open. He was in a room which was so strange to him yet in another life would have been completely normal. Well at least it was only half of the normal expectation as the walls blurred between the memory of Newt's wooden cabin, a large bed of moss and soft sheets, then walls painted sapphire with large posters and shelves of books. All blurring together making no sense. One minute he was walking in front of a bed he knew to be comforted in by Newt, and then there was a bed with a large mattress, pillows that he knew he would just sink into.

What was going on?

He paused as all of a sudden there was a warm jolt running through his body. His blood began pumping harder and faster. Something crazy was howling out into his ears as he was pinned back to the wall of his room, kissing the handsome boy in front of him with more growing hunger. The sudden surprise of the dream having taken him with confusion but the feeling was just too real. Too intense. Something he had been craving for deeply.

Those lips... that scent. It was like all that mattered at that moment in time was to have this boy pushed up against him as hard as he could.

His leg curled around the boy's waist possessively as he tried to pull him to lean in further against him. To push their bodies together as hard as possible as something was crying out desperately to be heard. His body yearned and ached as something on his calf's and wrists burned with acknowledgment. The very marks over his body seemed to ignite and scream out at him loudly. The inferno inside of him bellowed with an almighty rage.

He blinked and watched as a grinning blonde slowly began to stroke his fingers up along Fox's naval and traced the exposed skin lightly. Newt's dark eyes glistened while the grin grew. His blonde hair was streaked back exposing the light scar on his forehead.

Fox threw his head back as a pair of lips began to make their way along his throat and hungrily suck on the skin, biting lightly before making sure that there would be a mark left over him. "D-Damn it." Fox whimpered as he let his eyes roll back.

The fire inside of his body was writhing so brilliantly that it felt as though nothing could have put it out. Not the greatest ocean of ice in the world could have dampened this burning heat which was leaving him a writhing and wanton mess. "I-I need." He kept barely being able to whisper.

A pair of hands wrapped around the back of him as the other boy began to rub his knee against Fox's crotch, making him cry out as the friction created a whole new wave of pleasure for him. "Don't worry my gorgeous mate. My cub. My love." The voice above him purred. "I will make sure that you are tended to. Don't worry."  
"P-Please I need it!" Fox cried out and sighed softly as a pair of hands ripped open his shirt and shorts, before throwing them onto the ground. "Bed!" Fox demanded and with what felt like the joy of releasing a bit of the pent up energy in his muscles, grabbed the boy by the shoulders before throwing him onto the nearby bed of his cabin.

He didn't care to look around and see that his cabin was quickly shifting and changing rapidly to suit itself to the desire of his dream.

Sun light began to course through one of the windows, casting an emerald flow across a double oak bed. The dark wood was deeply varnished with four posters and silk curtains. The lightly painted walls held up posters of bands and Artists, ranging from Lady Gaga to musical theater like Chicago and classics such as Queen and Stereophonics. But for each poster there were countless lines of shelves holding up countless rows of books. All were carefully bound and placed in their exact place. Around the room were varies of different countries. Some hand scripted from the ancient days of Rome and Greece. Though the inhabitant of the room hardly knew of just how amazing and truly they are and were from the ancient days.

The room was still dark though. It was as though the sunlight meant absolutely nothing as the curtains washed through them and fresh moonlight whipped into a mix of silver, washing over both boy's who let out grunts.

Fox was the feeling and definition of euphoria right now. He knew that Newt could have the strength to have stopped him from throwing the blonde but still now, the other boy was sat up against the head rest. Waiting with a smile for his mate to come so that Newt could mark Fox as his own, once and for all.

But as the smaller boy came over he just strong curled his fingers under Newt's shirt. Gently gliding them across the skin first before ripping the material over his head and throwing it to the side without another care. His lips instantly going down to Newt's neck as he kissed and licked hungrily from the boy's chest, all the way down to his naval where he rested his head. Rubbing it against the skin to try and create some friction on his heated and needy own body. "Newt!" Fox whined out, still nuzzling the skin, taking in Newt's rich and fresh scent.  
"Okay." The taller boy chuckled, moving his hand against the smaller boy's body as Fox kept rubbing himself up against Newt's crotch, trying to deal with this blistering heat which was driving him insane. His whole body was desperate for this attention.

Fox needed Newt. Then and there.

"Hey." Newt suddenly became still after he placed a last few hungry kisses along him. "So what do you think of your first time?"  
"I think if you don't get inside of me, I'm going to fucking kill you." Fox snarled as his eyes began to glow dangerously amber. His skin writhing as he was desperate to be filled. His body was already prepared and now needed his mate inside of him. "I just- Can't- wait- any longer-"  
"Well then. We just can't have that can we." A new voice purred.

Fox turned his gaze slowly over his shoulder as a hand stroked itself along the skin, setting his nerves alight in the continued inferno of feeling.

His eyes widened suddenly as he watched a certain brunette take a place behind him. Slowly running his hand along the red and white haired boy's spine and tracing the markings. His fingers as gentle as the kiss of a summer breeze but his body as solid as a rock behind Fox. "Thomas?!" He gasped and whispered when the boy's hands slid across his waistline.

Newt grinned like a Cheshire cat. Slowly moving himself up further against the bed rest while Fox straddled him. He had perfect sight of Fox blushing bright red. "W-What the hell are you doing here?!" Fox snarled then groaned out as Thomas' fingers ran across Fox's sensitive skin.  
"I'm only hear because you want me here." Thomas whispered seductively, lightly nipping Fox's earlobe. "You control this dream-"  
"Feeling left out here!" Newt purred, leaning up to lightly kiss Fox's neck.  
_What is going on?! _Fox thought then cried out as Thomas and Newt lent forward, each whispering. "We will say it. But you won't."  
"Don't." Fox threw himself quickly onto the floor and away from the bed staring as both boys closed together kissing each other and laying on their fronts as they began to crawl to him. "Don't you dare!" Fox screamed.  
"I love you." Both whispered, grinning coldly with shinning eyes.  
"Shut up!" Fox shook his head, slamming his fists against the walls of the room now to try and break out.  
"And you know."  
"No!" He shook his head.  
"That you lo-"  
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" He screamed.

He froze himself as suddenly the room vanished and his eyes flew open.

_Back to darkness._ He thought bitterly but panted with relief as the dream was finally over.

He could feel a pair of arms protectively wrapped around him, just like they had been when he had cried himself to sleep in the first place. As it had been since he had first started noticing the symptoms of his vision going blurry, he now found that all he was met by with his eyes open or not was a complete canvas of black. It felt like all light had abandoned him. His body was tensed, ready to strike like a snake, every touch felt as though it was a surprise which was why he spent so much effort now trying to focus on his hearing.

Right now he could hear heavy steps banging on the wooden floor. A heavy breathing seethed out not so far away from him while above im it felt like the complete opposite. Newt's breathing was light and soft, even and consistent like the strokes he was making across Fox's cheek and through his hair. His warmth huddled against the boy desperately though Newt himself didn't seem to notice just how much he was close to the boy, how much that the blonde was staring down at his Cubby with loving eyes.

If only Fox could have seen the look of love in those eyes.

"You went out there. Unprotected. Unguarded. Under heavy fever, while you were blind?!" Thomas roared as he paced back and forth like he had been doing for the last hour. His eyes were full of unrestrained rage. His fists were balled up while he tried not to put them through the wall of the cabin. His hair was run back from where he had been furiously cruising his hand through it.

Fox however was sat back in Newt's wrapped arms, lent against the blonde's chest who stroked his fingers through Fox's red and white hair, humming a soft tune as he did so, content with everything that was around him, though the blond was trying to keep it together. His mask of that appearance seemed to be working well, while on the inside it felt like he was being viciously torn apart when he would look at Fox and the boy would just stare emptily at Newt's chest, never looking him in the eye any more. "Did I miss anything else out?!" Thomas bellowed glaring at Fox.  
"I liked your dream self better." Fox muttered, still panting for breath quietly, focusing his completely black vision in the direction that Thomas' voice was coming from.  
"What?"  
"I've starved myself, I got stabbed in the leg by a giant piece of ice, I nearly died in the frozen waters and I went out into the war zone-"  
"YOU DID WHAT?!" Both Newt and Thomas screamed.  
"Well mother." Fox said coldly, his gaze narrowing as he stared off emptily with his own hatred. His voice dripped with anger and a venomous bite. "I had no intention of returning back to feel your presence. At least now I don't have to look at your face!" Fox shouted.  
"GOD DAMN IT HARRY-"  
"I AM NOT YOUR HARRY! I AM NOT YOUR ANYTHING! GO TO HELL!" Fox screamed.

All froze.

Thomas stood frozen as though the cold outside had set inside his bones momentarily.

Fox just ducked his head against Newt's chest turning it away as he burrowed his nose against the exposed skin and warmth.

"No." Thomas shook his head, staring for a long moment at the boy. "I guess... you really aren't are you?" He whispered softly, taking steps away from both boys and going outside, closing the door behind him softly.

Newt looked down sadly as he felt Fox tense up in his arms. "Easy Cubby." The blonde whispered softly, running his fingers through the boy's hair and stroking his brow which seemed to be the only way to sooth him after he had been crying for nearly an our silently, refusing to even look at either of the other two boys. He couldn't understand why Fox harbored such an intense and burning hatred for Thomas. It wasn't just jealousy. Newt knew that much, but Fox just seemed so scared, so afraid and so angry to be around Thomas.  
_Why won't you let me in.  
_"Stop it." Fox growled quietly, having felt Newt's words whisper in his head. Those golden eyes glistening and making Newt sigh as he eased himself further under the sheets of the bed and rested their foreheads together. Fox just tensed staying still with his fists balled up against Newt's chest while his head rested in the crook of the taller boy's neck, his breathing softly sighing out and breathing lightly across the boy's skin. "You never waste words." Newt said gently. "That's how I know that you don't hate him. At least not completely."  
"This is why I didn't tell you." Fox growled, trying to push himself away, but with the cuff holding him tied to the bed and Newt's hold on him, he barely moved an inch. "I'm not weak!" He still fought and Newt sighed internally watching the boy struggle. "Give me a bow and I'll practice! I went out there and I survived didn't I?!"  
"You're trying to kill yourself." Newt said simply and felt the boy go completely limp against him. "That's why you were out there when I was looking for you. That's why you went back out there-OW!"

Newt pulled a hand to his red cheek as Fox sat up and pulled his hand back after having slapped Newt's face. "YOU THINK I WENT OUT THERE TO KILL MYSELF! I WAS OUT THERE TO TRY AND KEEP YOU ALIVE YOU SELFISH FUCKER!" Fox screamed, his eyes wide with disbelief, tears gathered at the edges of his eyes and slowly streamed down his cheek. "HOW DARE YOU!"  
"What the hell are you on about-"  
"Of course you wouldn't know." Fox snarled shaking his head. "Of course you wouldn't! Why would you! I stayed here to heal you!" He sobbed, for the first ever time Newt was seeing Fox break down in front of him, watching the boy fall to pieces. "I stayed here! I went and got the herbs! I tried to help you! I tried to do what I could! I was out there because you had wondered into the heart of a fucking hunting ground you idiot! I needed to make sure that you were safe! Then you fell! Because of me! You were out there because of me! I WAS TRYING TO PROTECT YOU!" Fox screamed.  
"Shush now."

Neither had notice Thomas come back in, or that the boy took a seat next to Fox and wrapped an arm around him while the boy sobbed. He was too weak to even fight off Thomas' light touch. The broken boy trembled and sobbed shaking his head as nothing made sense to him. "I did it all for you." Fox sobbed shaking his head. "I went out there for you! It was the only way!"  
"The only way for what?" Newt said gently, sitting up and resting their foreheads together against as his hand caressed Fox's cheek.  
"Newt." Thomas said quietly making it quite clear. _Not now. _His voice said what his words didn't. But the brunette although heartbroken just sat there as Fox cried. Thomas ran his hand up and down Fox's spine and he could see it. That now the jungle had really broken him. The war zone had destroyed him. The boy was no where near to being the boy that Thomas knew, except in one aspect.

He was the boy that Thomas had always wondered who was inside of Harry.

This was the boy he used to know, unmasked.

All that horror, pain, suffering and torment painted into those blind eyes and this weak broken form. Into the bony spine which Thomas could feel beneath his finger tips. Into those sunken eyes and burn marks.

Into the scars that Thomas could see on the inside of Fox's wrists and along his back.

"Come on. Lay down." Thomas cooed gently, ignoring the pain inside of him as Newt was. Both just trying to simply care for the ill boy in his fevered state, trying to be of some comfort. "Try and get some sleep." Thomas said gently. Staying on top of the covers unlike Newt, and watching as the other two boys curled together and Fox's breathing was still heard as it's light sobbing.

Thomas shook his head and gently ran his fingers along Fox's back. _"Hello. It's me. I was wondering if after all these years you'd like to meet to go over everything. They say that time's supposed to heal you. But I ain't done much healing." _Thomas kept his voice to be a gentle song as he watched the two boys. He remembered hearing this when he had last seen Fox in a bed, unconscious in a hospital.  
_"Hello, can you hear me. I'm in California dreaming about who we used to be.. When we were younger and free." _Newt sang softly.

Thomas' gaze shot up as he looked at the blonde who was smiling sadly as he held onto Fox.

This was their world now. This was what meant something to both of them anymore.

Both turned their gazes down to Fox as the boy had already cried himself back to sleep again.

"Hello from the other side." Thomas said gently rather than singing.

Newt turned his gaze down, knowing that those were more than just lyrics for Thomas. They were a truth.

For Fox anyway. Thomas was was from a whole other side. He was from a side of Fox's life which the boy didn't remember.

"I want to know what happened between you two." Newt said softly, watching as finally Tommy's guards finally went down and the boy was ready to open up.  
"Fine. Okay." Thomas whispered softly, shaking his head as he stared down at fox. "Okay. You really want to know Newt?" He said softly. "Me and Fox..." He turned and looked the blond in the eyes. "We were-"  
_**-Evil Cliffhanger. To be continued-**_


	23. Honesty is the dagger which digs deepest

**Hi everyone. Thank you to everyone who has favorite and followed this story**** ^_^ Thanks as always to ****fiercetiger333 for all your lovely reviews and comments! ^_^ ****Have a nice day/night wherever you are. Warning: Story contains boyxboy, swearing, scenes of violence. Hope I'm making it up to you guys!**

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_**-Flash back-**_

Deep grey clouds had become even heavier through the sky. The world of the scorch seemed an eternity away now as the ground outside was littered with building snow and the freezing of ice. The clouds themselves churned with their burden of carrying the new tide of snow. They seemed to carry the weight of the world upon them as they were eager to cry and let their burden free. The cold breeze that coursed through them seemed to be relentless in biting deep into the bones of everyone which now stood, planted in the waiting room of the hospital. It wouldn't be long before snow would come over this area and keep them trapped inside.

This storm was going to be unrelenting in it's approach. People had already begun to block up their homes and grab any amount of spare food that they could. They knew that this was going to keep them in for a couple of weeks... if they were lucky. The storm would ruin them as would an explosive breeze of the scorch would destroy a small group.

But nothing. Nothing was going to stop what happened next.

The doors slammed open madly as Thomas sprinted through the building. He didn't stop as the people at the front desk looked at him as though he was mad and insane, perhaps he was. Perhaps he actually was mad. But he had someone here. Someone here he had made an oath to protect. "Sir! Please! Sir!" They called after him but it didn't matter.

His eyes were set determined on the emergency room not that far away from them. The walls were a pure and clean white though they had large cases where paintings hung... was that all they had? The best they could give to those who were confined to this damn building? A few paintings of the outside world? Meadows and fields. Forest with a large creek moving through it. The tantalizing reminder that these people may never see the real thing any more.

Thomas made a mental note that he hated this place with every ounce of his being.

"Thomas! Wait!"

A woman pounded into the room behind him followed by another nurse. The guard was wearing a line of protective furs which kept her small form kindled against the cold outside. The cloak of the snow white fur blended perfectly with the ground outside and the storm of the blizzard. Her frame was a soft silver which was dimmed by the camouflage hood. Her hair was tied up in a crimson bun and her dark eyes stared out with a dark haunting cast which didn't match the soft and protective smile of her beautiful face. Her gun was strapped to her back encase of an emergency. It wasn't that much of a surprise sadly to actually need one around here.

She followed Thomas and sighed as the boy came to a stop. The nurse on the desk frowned looking up from her papers between both the other nurse and the guard. "Is he looking for someone? One of the other refugees who came through?"  
"He's looking for his friend Harry." His guard stated. The idea of someone so eager to see Harry sounded absolutely ridiculous to her! Well maybe not so if it was a certain other boy. But still it was a shock to see this riffraff boy so crazed with the need to find Harry.

"Oh Harry... yes, I'm afraid he isn't out of theater yet. They're still operating on him. He's on..." She looked down at her computer and began typing away as she was searching for the information.

With every push of each key, Thomas felt his anger and frustration rising. He was losing his patience with this woman very rapidly. It must be so easy for her. Sat behind that bloody desk, typing away at keys while others around her were suffering. He looked around for the first time getting the details. The waiting room was a deathly pale white. It's paint covered every inch except for the hard cold floor which was a pale emerald with small random curves to try and make it look pleasing to the eye.

It was as pleasing to the eye as a knife to the heart was.

Large boarders covered the wall with leaflets about the physio courses and the types of treatments that were available for those who were looking for it. But right now all that Thomas was looking for was _his_ Harry. Not some stupid half hearted course. Not some waste of time moron trying to make him suffer as he was waiting for some damn stupid bit of information!

The nurse smiled at the screen and looked back up at both of them. "Ah yes, he will be on ward fourteen. Take the stairs and-"

She had barely finished before Thomas had took off like a bullet to the stairway following the signs and directions for the ward.

The walls were so dark and the world seemed once more confusing. At first Thomas had freaked out because it was like stepping back into one of his old nightmares about those evil bastards who had wanted to harvest his brain. It was just like someone had taken his nightmares of that hell hole and now painted it before him, but the urgency of the hectic morning had left him confused, his addled mind trying to piece together exactly what had just happened.

How had it got to this? They had been going so well! They had everything down to a tee! They had been getting through the scorch! It had seemed to all be looking up! Everything was making just a little bit more sense to Thomas. But then the memories had started with that voice and the pain had come back. The screaming in his head that he was a failure. The screaming of the names of all those who had died because of him. His failures taking the control of his mind and thoughts. The reminder that he was the reason so many were dead. That this was all his fault!

It was confusing enough to Thomas as he now was staring through a large window where Harry was tied down onto a bed. A tube fed air into the boy's lungs and down his throat while a drip was slowly pumping medication into the blonde's body as the boy was wrapped underneath two turquoise blankets and in a gown for the hospital wing.

The boy's blond hair was splayed back across the exponentially in the last few weeks that they had been out there in the scorch. It now reached down to the boy's shoulder blades in a thick wavy mess of long locks. His face was sunken and looked starved, they had both had very little food and a lot less drink. But he hadn't known that Harry had really but such a intense strain on himself.

Thomas just stood at the window watching as a boy inside the room slowly came back out after placing a kiss on Harry's forehead.

A slight stir twisted in Thomas' stomach.

The boy slowly came out of the room with his eyes still locked on Harry. The boy's hair was a sweep of dark red and black. He was thin and pale just like the boy on the helicopter. His eyes however were a startling warm brown, so warm in fact that they seemed to burn like a faint colour of fire. The boy had the same silver body gear and heavy boots with fur cloak that Thomas' guard did. But the boy's face was a lot colder as he looked over Thomas, looking the boy up and down for a moment then letting the glare out that he had been holding for a while. "Fucking waste. He went out there for you? What the fuck are you worth." He snarled.  
"Pleasure to meet you too." Thomas said quietly.  
"Should be you unconscious. Not him. He's got enough to deal with without adding another broken toy to his collection. The boy snarled, turning those harsh eyes over Thomas. "One of the last few survivors." The boy shook his head. "Would have been better off for all of us if you were out there dead!" And with that the boy stormed off.

Only giving Thomas one glance at a necklace which read; _Jack_, before the boy left.

Thomas just walked over to the glass screen and placed his hand on the cold barrier. He watched the machines working to help the blond boy. "I swear by the blood in my veins. By the breath in my lungs. By the strength in my bones. You saved me and now I give you myself, I will protect you. I will make sure you stay alive. I will make sure that forever I will stand by your side." Thomas whispered softly, looking down to his palm at the necklace that Harry had given him. "I am in your service for now and for ever."

_**-Present day-**_

Thomas was stood at the balcony staring out across the snow and lines of trees which seemed to go on forever now. He had spent the last couple of days like this now, just stood out here, occasionally getting a warm drink but as always now it seemed, in complete silence. The only sound was the distant noises of the camp and the quiet sound of the wind rustling through the trees.

He and Newt really hadn't spoken much in the last week. Since he had told Newt the truth about him and Harry, he really hadn't been comfortable enough to stick around the blond much. Plus it helped not to be in the cabin so much. All that was waiting in there was Newt who was still trying to process the truth of their situation.

Maybe Newt was right. It felt like someone out there was deliberately trying to make their situation as shucking difficult as possible.

After Fox had managed to calm down from his broken sobbing, Thomas had left the room, not wanting to leave his Harry till the boy was at least feeling more comfortable and less scared. But after that, it had only been silence between him and Newt. Neither of them truly knowing exactly what to say to the other.

And still there was this bloody snow!

_Just like back at the camp in England_. Thomas thought as he watched the way each delicate flake danced and slowly descended.

But through all of this he knew that he had made his vow and he would always stand by it, in this world or the next. Whether he would do it as an angel watching over Harry, (though now with the other truth of their situation, another one of his vows seemed quite strange to contemplate), he would still stand by the boy. Now and for eternity.

Even if it tore his heart apart to be looked at with those blind hateful eyes-

"Ehem." A voice whispered softly, sounding completely unsure of itself and awkward in what it was doing. "I brought you a drink to warm you up."  
"Thanks Newt-"

Thomas turned automatically expecting of all people right now to see the blond. His expectations following onto him and Newt having a chat and trying to resolve the awkwardness between them.

But Thomas' heart just shot into his throat and nearly burst with it's speed as he turned to see a certain golden eyed boy with hair like dripping blood and matching patches of pearly snow, facing his direction and letting out a steam of breath as they trembled. Their hands were curved around a steaming cup of a hot drink, the bronzed palms with markings of black were shaking ever so slightly and Thomas frowned immediately moving over to the boy. "Har-Fox." He corrected himself instantly, knowing that using that name right now would be enough to simply drive the boy away. "What are you doing out here! It's freezing! You should be in bed!"  
"I'm blind but I'm not porcelain." Fox stated rather coldly, making Thomas flinch back and turn his gaze downcast to the board floors beneath him.

Fox didn't know what he was doing out here. Honestly after he had managed to finally sneak the key to the cuffs out of Newt's pocket with delicate fingers, he had thought of what he should do. He could have grabbed his belongings, they would have helped him get so far, but he was still weak. He refused most food put to him, at least when he was in good sense like he was right now. He was only coherent because a strong dose of the medicine was now burning through his bloodstream. Without it, he would be an addled mess on the floor in the blackness of what was his none existent vision.

But he had still remembered where he had put some of the herbs for drinks and beverages. Plus on the bright side, he had only walked into the table in the cabin and into the walls about three times. He would have to make a mental note to remember the steps. But with the water already on boil and the texture of the plants and herbs familiar to him as his own hands were, he had managed to at least make a simple drink.

"You didn't run." Thomas softly said, staring at the other boy not entirely sure what to do, what to make of the situation. If he rushed in too quickly he would scare Fox off. No. It was like Newt said. He had to take this slow and carefully.  
"Maybe... I'm tired of running." Fox sighed softly, taking slow and unsteady steps towards the sound of Thomas' voice.

Thomas met him halfway and shed his cloak, draping it carefully around Fox's bare shoulders as the boy was still in nothing but his undershorts which were more or less like that of a loincloth. The black marks over the boy's skin seemed to stand out more than ever against the startling white background of the snow covered forest. "After a while. You tend to forget what you're running from." Thomas whispered softly, pulling the cloak closer around Fox who put up no fight but just stared blankly at Thomas' chest. "A long time ago, someone who was close to me once told me, 'when you start a war, you better know what you're fighting for'."  
"Was this person me." Fox asked gently.

Immediately the tension flew through the air, even if both used their body language to act like it didn't exist. Just like Thomas pretended he didn't feel sparks of electricity in his fingertips when his hand brushed Fox's upon taking the cup. "Now you wouldn't lie to a blind boy. Would you?" Fox purred quietly with those golden eyes, locking onto Thomas' face.  
"He wasn't you." Thomas said. "Because you were different back then."  
"Do you want that boy back." Fox asked bluntly.  
"With all of my heart." Thomas shook his head.  
"But-"  
"But you can't." Thomas said gently. He took Fox's palms into his own and guided the boy to the balcony where both stared off now into the distant forest. It was strange for Thomas, he was nervous to ask about Fox, how the boy was feeling. About how his eyes were.  
"I am sorry." Fox whispered. "Not just about... that. I'm sorry that-"  
"You don't need to say it. I don't want to hear you lie." Thomas said calmly looking at the other boy. "Our situation is difficult enough without me, you and Newt being honest to each other."  
"Ah, honesty." Fox smirked, leaning his head onto his palms as he stared out blankly. "The dagger which digs the deepest."  
"So you still hate me then." Thomas asked with a sigh.  
"I don't really know what I feel for you." Fox shook his head. "Before... with the fever, with the pain. It was all confusing."  
"And now?"  
"It's even more so."

Thomas gritted his teeth slightly watching the boy. This was him, this was his Harry, but yet... that boy was dead. He was gone and buried, but this was still the same boy! It was so confusing and painful! He just wanted to blink and wake up from this nightmare to find himself sat in his rocking chair with Harry asleep beside him with a book on his chest and the fireplace of their home roaring.

But reality was they were here. Harry was Fox. Fox hated him. Everything that Thomas had ever known about this boy was completely flipped and gone. All which he thought he could have known better about Harry was just a forgotten memory.

"You know." Fox finally said into the pregnant silence, that had been growing between them. "I don't think I'll ever be able to see anything else but this place. Even in the darkness, this will always be the last thing I saw. This place will always be the last ever thing I saw." He said casually.

He said it so casually that Thomas didn't nearly notice the tears creeping down the boy's cheek. "Why are you telling me this?"  
"Because." Fox said gently, shaking his head. "I told you, I'm tired of running. That includes you Thomas." His voice was softer that the breeze now. Gentle as leaf on the wind. His eyes even if they were blind were beautiful. "And we have to start somewhere. So stage one is for me to stop thinking of you as the guy who tried to steal my mate, or the boy from the whispers I've had shoved down my ears."  
_He's being far more reasonable than usual... he must really want this._Thomas thought with shock.  
"So where do we start?" Thomas asked gently.  
"Well since right now I'm not screaming profanities at you." Fox smirked slightly. "How about you come inside and read to me."

_"Come on Thomas! Read to me!" __Thomas smiled from ear to ear as he walked across the living room to the old rocking chair in front of the fireplace. Harry was sat with his knees curled close to him like a child at Christmas, stoking the fire and staring up at Thomas with wonder in those deep emerald eyes which sparkled brighter and brighter with each word. The room was painted white though with a careful hand, Harry had managed to paint the walls with great black oak trees, the branches reaching around the walls and painted with the glows of lanterns. The roar of the fireplace only helped the illusion of the paintings come more to life around him. The beauty of it and the peace was beheld to none._

Fox lunged forward onto the balcony railing, taking a deep gasp for a long moment finding the air was devoid from his lungs. Thomas was on him in an instance, rubbing the boy's bony back. "What was that? Are you okay?!"  
"F-Fine." Fox snarled, still taking deep breaths as what felt like a sharp stabbing pain between his eyebrows had slowly seared itself into the skin like a knife.  
"Come on. If Newt is sleeping, then I can get a few chapters in." Thomas whispered cautiously. Going to carry the boy bridal style but only doing it when Fox with trembling and shaking fingers laced them around Thomas' neck and allowed himself to be lifted.

But all the while, even as Thomas started reading in his rocking chair and Fox sat with the warm glow of the fire tingling his cold skin. He couldn't help but begin to wonder...What the shucking hell had that been.


	24. Breaking under the cold exterior

**Hi everyone. Thank you to everyone who has favorite and followed this story**** ^_^ Thanks as always to ****fiercetiger333 for all your lovely reviews and comments! ^_^ ****Have a nice day/night wherever you are. Warning: Story contains boyxboy, swearing, scenes of violence. Sorry for the late update... things have been... complicated lately.**

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Not a sound stirred except the faint dripping and fall of rain across the windows outside hitting the window pane of his his room. The moon was hidden behind a blanket of dark clouds while the wind battered against his numbing bones.

From the illumination of a flickering and dying candle a bolt of lightning lit the room alight in shadows.

The faint light caught a sparkle in mid drip as a tear fell from a pale cheek to the rouge quilt beneath a huddled figure.

A figure had their arms wrapped tightly around a small blue teddy bear, staring down at the blanket beneath them through tear filled eyes in the darkness. Their hair fell covering their right eye but the light was just small enough to illuminate the soft turquoise eye as they blinked free another tear from their lashes.

Pulling the bear closer to himself the boy let no sob sound from him, but only tossed away the mask he had been wearing for the sake of others as he pushed himself onto the floor, watching the candle flicker from under his moonlight soaked hair.

His eye momentarily cast itself upon old images of smiles, of memories real or not. He was unsure. But even in his thin frame he pushed himself into the corner of the room, keeping only the small blue bear with him as the rain smashed through the open window.

The boy could only feel his vision swarm before him as the cold crept colder through his arms, his leg, through his face. The winter so intense that it left him empty. His chest heaved though he bit back all sounds of what was truly going through him. He had to. He couldn't let them see.

The lightning flashed a final time with a roar of thunder and a limp hand fell at a corpse like still side while a pale face turned up towards the storm clouds, hoping to almost see one sliver of light in the otherwise black world outside.

But the only sparkle of light came from a falling tear as the wind blew out the candle resting nearby.

His breath hitched and he could no longer take it as the built sob came out in a broken cry, his head falling down to his knee as his bear became tied tighter in his arms. The shuddering of his body the only feeling he had left that he was alive anymore. The bitter sting of winter the only sensation that he was still awake.

The shadows pulling him down to their depths, deeper and deeper.

He guessed now he knew why drowning was the worst death.

Thomas himself wasn't doing much better as he strolled down corridor after corridor, his hands shoved into his pockets. His head low as the soft light of the base they had been put into seemed to flicker ever so slightly. The outside groaned as the wind battered against the reinforced walls of the base. The metal of the corridor was cold to the touch, like thick ice.

Some people were passing him by cheering with each other. Clapping and smiling from ear to ear about a mission well done. Even after nearly what felt like a month had passed since Thomas had been here. Still those idiots were celebrating like they had just solved the whole world's problem.

So as they passed he did what he usually did and just ducked his head into the shadows, keeping his gaze low, just like usual they didn't bother him.

So he just kept quiet and pulling the book out from his tucked in white shirt and black jumper, he ran his hand over the smooth leather binding, looking down at the letters. He had been looking for ways to keep himself distracted lately. Trying as hard as he could to do anything but to think of everything that had happened.

Mostly that meant going to find Harry and check if the boy was okay. He often would just sit in there for hours and read to Harry, sometimes if the boy was awake, Thomas would step out because that more or less meant it wouldn't be long till Daniel would make an appearance.

Harry's apparent Boyfriend.

Thomas shook his head and frowned to himself. More or less his nerves were set off by the boy himself but there was just something about Daniel that he didn't like. Something that seemed familiar. It wasn't due to the fact that Daniel was a colossal douche bag. That was just part of the reason. No. Thomas just couldn't put his finger on why he had such a cold feeling towards the other boy. He just couldn't figure out why-

He paused coming suddenly out of his thought.

He watched with intent as the lights flickered down the corridor in front of him as he had finally turned onto the ward area. The long line of hanging lights flickered off slowly, bringing a tide of darkness Thomas' way till for a long moment he was left in completely nothingness, only for it to be broken with a faint buzzing from above him as the lights all flickered back into life.

He frowned to himself after that. Never once had he seen this base falter in any of it's workings.

Not once.

He looked back curiously above them as each light swayed slightly with an invisible breeze while a single drop fell from each of them, leading a droplet line back towards the doorway of the room that the doctors who were leaving had all just left wide open, none of them looking up or seeming to notice anything with the weird flickering lights or the fact a storm was raging against the barriers of the base around them.

With the cold chill beginning to fill his spine, he began to slowly tread his way towards the doorway. The flickering light beginning to make his heart rate accelerate dangerously as fear ran rampart through his mind.

"Harry?" He said, frowning deeply, the lack of light inside the room making it impossible for him to get a good view.

Like the darkness and void of light had swallowed everything inside.

His fingers began to tremble as the cold ice of adrenaline slipped past his self control and sank far deeper into the bones of his body. His eyes shook slightly while his breath became small and unrestrained gasps. "Harry?" He asked out again into the emptiness of the air.

The lights began flickering all the more violently around him as he grasped onto the handle of the door. Calling out one more time to the boy inside. _Maybe the drugs didn't take effect as much as they thought? _He wondered though the truth was screaming in his mind at him.

The lights and sound of heavy rain filled her ears as the handle of the door let out a long lasting _'CREEEEK'_

"Harry?"

Thomas turned the flickering light on in time to watch just as Harry looked over to him with a knife in his hand. His cold soft eyes almost appearing turquoise in the light as they seemed to be changing, faster and faster.

Thomas barely had time to call out the boy's name while Harry dragged it across his throat, painting Thomas with the red life substance.

"HARRY!"

He sat bolt upright in bed looking around the empty tree cabin, as the wind battered harshly on the window outside. He was in nothing and covered only by the thin sheet of the blanket on the bed. Newt was huddled up close to him and sleeping away peacefully. The blonde's face was like that of a peaceful angel. Thomas just let out a huff of breath trying to quieten his ragged breathing and try to get himself back under control.

It was just a dream. All of it. It was just a bad nightmare which had gotten away from him.

Newt was still here and so was-

He looked down to see no golden eyed boy wrapped between him and Newt but only a pair of uncoordinated footsteps leave wet imprints from earlier leading back towards the door. "I swear to god if you've tried to run off!" Thomas snarled under his breath, pulling himself out from Newt's arm, making sure not to wake the boy, before sprinting it to the door as he grabbed a pair of trousers along the way.

But before he had even made it actually half away along Harry's steps he paused hearing a soft voice coming from outside.

A voice that Thomas would have known in any world.

He paused, pulling himself into some trousers and grabbing his jacket and shoes before he slowly walked outside to see Harry lent against the balcony, shivering slightly as the only thing the boy wore was some ragged and torn trousers. His tanned and black branded shoulders were dotted with flakes of gently falling snow. The wind was harsh but not harsh enough that Thomas couldn't hear the other boy singing softly as he closed the door as noiselessly as possible.

Harry had his arms wrapped around himself, his gaze-less eyes stared up at the sky as though the boy could still see the stars which were hidden behind the expanding cloud. His voice was one of the softest sounds and as beautiful as the change of seasons, just as Thomas remembered it to have always been. But the fact that the words which Harry were singing right now sounded so perfectly at home in his voice, in his mouth, for the way the boy looked right now. It just destroyed Thomas' heart. _"__And I... am feeling so small. __It was over my head. __I know nothing at all." _

Thomas paused, leaning back against the door as he watched Harry's red and white hair flare up against the snow in a row of it's sharp spikes, while the short sides radiated both a burning warmth and the most purest of cold. The boy trembled but still seemed to be completely unaware of Thomas' presence. Or at least, if he had noticed it, he had made no indication that he cared Thomas was there._ "And I... will stumble and fall. __I'm still learning to love. __Just starting to crawl."_

Thomas had to turn away as he watched a sparkling tear fall from Harry's tanned cheek.

_"Say something, I'm giving up on you. __I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you. __Anywhere I would've followed you. __Say something, I'm giving up on you-" _Harry suddenly fell silent with a slight flinch as Thomas shed his jacket and wrapped it around the boy's shoulders, but the red and white head just closed his eyes, not even barking at Thomas any more as he had done on every other attempt when the brunette had tried to come near him or do anything for him. He only wiped his tears away and turned into Thomas' embrace as the taller and older boy wrapped a protective arm around him.

Thomas ran his finger along the boy's jaw, catching the last warm tear before he just stared out across the tree cover saying nothing but only standing silently with the other boy until finally Harry whispered. "I'm sorry... for scaring you and Newt like that." The boy's eyes looked blindly across nothing but the memories of the forest seemed to be imprinted there like permanent ink or the brands of his body.

Thomas just sighed. "I'm sorry I shouted at you like that." He wrapped both arms around Harry's midriff, holding the boy close to share his warmth with him. Trying to keep his heart slow so that Harry couldn't hear the way it was racing away right now. A blush decorated Thomas' cheeks but he tried to focus on his heart instead of instinctively making a poker face. "I only shouted because I care about you-" Thomas paused just shaking his head slowly. "Listen, we're going to be heading back to the main camp tomorrow. We have to start making our way back there. You need more help than we can give you out here by ourselves."  
"And if we don't go back soon. They are going to come looking for us." Harry sighed, already seeing where this was going. "That would mean leading them to the trio and it would be unfair for them because then the camp wouldn't leave until it dragged those three back with them." Harry nodded and Thomas smiled a little sadly.  
"Why did you go out there." Thomas finally asked the question he had been holding back.  
"Because..."

Harry paused, his body visibly tensing, but Thomas would have felt it anyway. Harry had his head rested back against the taller boy's chest now, perfectly fitted underneath Thomas' chin and resting against the warmth from the boy's chest. "I had to." Harry said quietly, shaking his head and closing his eyes, though it made no difference to him at all now.

Thomas just let out a soft sigh, while both stared up at the snow falling in it's gentle flakes.

"I had to protect Newt and you." He said gently before giving way slightly.

As Thomas caught him, he realized just how weak the boy was. Even if more sense was creeping back into him now that the fever had managed to break on him. Harry was still starved, very much malnourished only taking on the bare minimum of food and nourishment. The adjustment to actually even being blind itself was taking it's toll as Harry seemed to just spend most of his time out here now, staring out across the forest with eyes he knew that he would never be able to see it with again.

Thomas could only imagine just exactly was going through the other boy's head right now.

"Come on." He whispered gently, lifting the boy bridal style and smiling slightly as Harry's head came to a rest against his chest.

He walked back inside and slowly set the boy back down by the fire inside and lit a fresh flame to kindle the growing cold room. Harry's feet were almost blue with the bite of the snow outside and were freezing cold to the touch but soon became quickly warmed by the log fire that Thomas finally got started after a few minutes. But Harry just sat their quietly, even when Thomas turned in his crouch to look the other boy softly in his golden eyes. Harry's hands were neatly folded in his lap, gently rubbing against one another to coax warmth into his fingertips.

Thomas just gently laid his around the other boy's and smiled slightly to himself as he gently brushed away the cold lingering inside Harry's touch. "There we go." He whispered softly, slowly raising his gaze.

As he looked up though he froze as his gaze locked with where Harry's was pointed at the sound of his voice. Thomas held it for a long moment and just gently let his thumb continue softly rubbing across Harry's delicate and thin fingers. Moving to his wrist before Thomas' touch moved across the various bumps and scars of self harm that the boy had been doing to himself recently.

Harry began to turn his gaze away but Thomas only just reached up and rested his hand against the boy's cheek. "You don't have hurt yourself you know." He said gently. "You know... it makes Newt sad when you do that to yourself-"  
"What about you."

The question caught Thomas off guard.

He blinked and steadied himself, but still his voice came out slightly surprised in tone as he asked. "Pardon?"  
"What about you." Harry repeated quietly, his golden eyes moving over to Thomas' face, or at least where he thought it was. "Does it upset you when... When I do this to myself?"

Thomas looked down at the most recent self inflicted wounds on the boy's wrists. They were still an angry red and on some occasion dripped blood when they tore with movement. "More than you will ever know." He said softly, placing his hand over them and looking into Harry's face.  
"I want to see you." The boy whispered.  
"But-"  
"I know. I know." Harry said softly. "So... let me see you a different way then."

Thomas looked down as Harry's hands slowly began to rise with uncertainty, slowly reaching out till they came to a rest on Thomas' chest, feeling the strong stone beneath his now sensitive fingertips. The brunette closed his eyes letting himself almost dive into the simple feeling of just having the boy's hands on him again. No venomous tone being spat at him. No harsh words being screamed at him.

It brought back so many memories.

Harry's hands felt the spot over Thomas' racing heart and the taller boy watched the look of confusion for a second run through those golden eyes before Harry turned his head to look directly into Thomas', a small smile forming on his lips as Thomas' heart sped up even faster, had it been even possible.

Slowly his hands slid along Thomas' neck and onto either side of his face, gently their slightly cold touch bathing in the warmth of the blush which Harry could never see. Thomas let out a soft sigh and that small smile returned to Harry as Thomas stared down at the boy till his fingers gently ran across Thomas' cheek and closed eyelids, so soft that their touch felt nearly like it wasn't even there.

But when the smaller boy's finger slowly led up into Thomas' hair the brunette couldn't but let out a breathy moan, making Harry chuckle slightly under his breath. "Sorry." The boy whispered before Thomas' blushed even brighter.

Harry kept his hands there for a moment or two, gently stroking through Thomas' soft hair before they became still and dropped to either side of his body. Thomas frowned gently taking hold of them in his own. "What's wrong?" He asked quietly.  
"I had to go to the war zone to protect Newt and you." Thomas frowned at that but Harry just kept his blind gaze on the floor. "It was me, or Newt and you go there. I had other reasons but those were the ones that they knew would get me sent out there."  
"They?" Thomas and Harry bit his lip. "It doesn't matter anyway." He shook his head and put on a smile as he gently lifted Harry and walked back over to the bed. "You need some rest. We have a long way to travel tomorrow and it's not going to do you any good to be exhausted from the get go."

For once, Harry didn't even put up a fight but quietly only scooted under the sheets and laid against Newt who's arm encircled him quickly, before Thomas' mirrored it and all three went into a comfortable slumber.

But even so. Thomas couldn't help wonder before he had fallen asleep, who it was that had threatened and blackmailed Harry into going to the war zone? More importantly... why?


	25. The heartfelt truth

**Hi everyone. Thank you to everyone who has favorite and followed this story**** ^_^ Thanks as always to ****fiercetiger333 for all your lovely reviews and comments! ^_^ I also just want to again say a massive thank you to all of you who favourite and followed this story! You're all so amazing ^_^ ****Have a nice day/night wherever you are. Warning: Story contains boyxboy, swearing, scenes of violence.**

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Crunching of snow filled the air as through the dense blanket and labyrinth of trees, three figures gently made their way along the forgotten path on their extending never ending journey. Three of them almost linked together by their hands as they were huddled together in the gentle fall of snow flakes. The only ounce of colour which was showing was the fading brown bark of the trees.

Newt was huddled underneath a blanket, trembling slightly against the cold as he thought jealously about the three they had just left back in the cabin with such a warmth and comfort of a bed and fire. But he knew that they had to leave, the three had the respectful wish that they shouldn't be part of the pack which Newt, Thomas and even Fox was a part of. After their sweet comfort and all that they had been given. The three boys even vacating their home cabin so that Fox could recuperate and Newt could heal. It was only fair right now that Newt and the other two respect the wishes of the boys.

"Bloody hell. It's cold enough out here to freeze your bleeding dick off!" He growled, pulling the blanket around himself closer. His normally dirty blond hair was decorated with cold perfect flakes of snow. His cheeks were puffed out a rose red but certainly not from any blush this time around. Even so with his eyelashes cold as they blinked down lightly on his cheek and the cold of the winter trembled in his bones. He could help but smile internally as he looked over to where Thomas was taking it slow and careful, his eyes locked onto Newt and Fox with every step that they all took together.

Thomas had a blanket like the other two wrapped around his shoulders, making a hood out of it like he had done for Newt, he shielded himself from the fall of snowflakes, making heavy crunches into the snow and taking a slight step in front of the others, always to make sure that the path was clearing or to at least make a trail. To be honest, Thomas and Newt had an idea of the direction they were heading in, but other than that, everything was clouded over. Every tree stump looked the same, every inch of fallen snow seemed to be an eternal stretch in the same direction.

Fox though was now the worry of Newt. Though the blonde guessed, with the boy's new... problem. That maybe he would always be that now. The one thing that Fox never wanted. Not when he was Harry and not now when he is his forgotten self. He never wanted to be the porcelain doll of the group which they were in. He never wanted to be the weak link in the chain which made them up.

From the moment Newt had met him and the boy had taken the bite of a _Wicked _for him. He had knew that Fox was special.

When he had held the boy and gently washed him free of his burns, cooing softly he had felt his heart slowly burn and spark to life again.

"S-Shove off Newt." Fox muttered jolting slightly with a flinch.

The blonde hadn't even realized that he had reached out and gently caressed Fox's neck, gently pulling the clothing around his body slightly tighter to shield him from the cold. But he guessed he should have known to at least warn Fox.

For the obvious reasons.

"Sorry." Newt sighed gently and watched as Thomas took a step closer. The taller boy standing sentient as always over both of them like their own personal body guard. Nothing escaped his soft, dark eyes. Especially when it came to either Fox or Newt now. "Sorry." He said gently, wrapping an arm around Fox's waist and sharply pulling the boy out the way of a tree, which he had been about to walk into.

Fox growled slightly under his breath, bawling his fists as he pulled his covers closer around himself. His eyes danced about, for the first time showing the severity of his condition. The red head cried out slightly, flinching back only into Thomas' arms as the taller brunette closed his arms on him, grabbing him from either side. "It was just a tree." Thomas said softly. "You have to slow down and calm down."  
"Your feet!" Newt exclaimed.

Thomas glared down slowly, his eyes a little sad but he had guessed that it would have gone like this.

Fox's feet were almost blue with the bite from the snow.

"You can't carry on like this." Thomas said softly, gripping Fox's arm a little tighter as the boy gritted his teeth. The black brands on his face stood out about as much as the red on his cheeks. The boy may have been blind but he seemed to be growing more and more cautious with just exactly how much he said. With what emotion that he allowed to show. With just how much of himself he gave away.

He was becoming colder, harder and altogether less and less like the boy that either Thomas or Newt knew.

"We're about two hours or so out from the camp. You look like you've got about five minutes or so before those feet freeze solid." Thomas stated.  
"Which basically means." Newt grinned as a sparkle of mischief grew between his and Tommy's eyes.  
"That we're just gonna have to find out another way to get you back to the camp."

Newt made a mental note later to check where Fox learnt such foul language from, because as Thomas grabbed the boy and lifted him up onto his shoulders as a piggyback, Fox unleashed quite a few expressive exclamations about something that Thomas and Newt anatomically wouldn't be able to do. So for the sake of conversation. Newt would replace certain words that Fox used, with the word 'puppy'.  
"You two _'puppies'_ put me down right now! Before I kick you in your _'puppy'_ face, you two, _'puppy'_ faced, short _'puppy',_ sons of _'puppies!' _then go and_ 'puppy'_ yourselves!"  
"I'm getting just the smallest hint that he's not entirely happy with us doing this." Newt grinned like a Cheshire cat.  
"You blond shuck! Let me down right now! I can walk!"  
"Oh great, we're all bloody inspired." Newt rolled his eyes as he wrapped their last blanket around Fox's feet. Rubbing the frost and snow off of them first and listening to how Fox albeit unwillingly, purred at the warmth kindled into him. "I think we should change your name to Kitten." Newt smirked, watching a blush explode across Fox's face.  
"I am a hunter! I am the cursed puppeteer! I will end you!"  
"Yeah, yeah." Newt laughed, watching at how both Fox and Thomas had froze for the briefest of seconds.

Had Newt not known himself or the other two better, then he probably would have thought nothing of it. It had been such a small lapse that it could have hardly been noticed by any other eye. But Newt had grown increasingly used to having to see through people. Especially when it came to Tommy and even more so to Fox.

That's why when he watched Fox just go back to a quiet glare and pout his lips slightly in indignation, while Thomas laughed, smiling from ear to ear, Newt just put on a smile, keeping it up for the other two. He still wondered what had been that single briefest moment of hesitation. What had it been that Fox had said which had caused both him and Thomas to look like that.

He let out a quiet sigh under his breath, watching the other two out the corner of his eye as Thomas continued to laugh and Fox cuss both of them.

More secrets.

_**-Break-**_

Newt smiled to himself as he watched Fox slumped forward on Thomas' shoulder, sleeping soundly while Thomas hummed gently. "Seems you found the best way to calm our little kitten." Newt mused, watching how Fox's breath came out in small misty puffs. With those black marks on his cheek, he really was like an adorable little kitten. Newt knew to say such a thing aloud meant a beating from Fox and not the good kind.  
"You realize he will kill you, if you embarrass him by calling him that in front of people?" Thomas grinned, speaking as softly as Newt but keeping up the tune of a soft hum between what he said.  
"Oh, he thinks that. But we both know that he's too stubborn too. His bite is worse than his bark."  
"I think you got those the wrong way around-"  
"Oh no." Newt grinned, his eyes sparkling brightly with amusement. "I know what I said." He looked back at the soft sleeping face. He ran a hand slowly through the crimson spikes of hair which fell as a fringe over Fox's right eye. They felt soft as silk under Newt's fingertips but slightly and strangely warm... no probably just his mind playing tricks on him. "Although he may not like to show it. The little Kitten does have a heart. The one thing that he would never do, is harm those who he loves. That's why he stayed away from me when he thought that we both were... you know."  
"Ah. Yes." Thomas sighed and nodded.

Newt could still see the sadness in Thomas eyes at the thought of what had happened to them over the period of the last five weeks. It had all just been so confusing, all of it so strange, so-  
"Hang on." Newt frowned deeply.

He reached out slowly to where Fox's hand rested limp against Thomas' chest. Something had caught Newt's eye before but he hadn't said anything, thinking that maybe it had been something simple as maybe a sprain. But now he could see it a lot clearer. Along the length of Fox's forearm, a long angry stretch of lines, some crisscrossed. They were all too even and exactly placed to be something simple as a cut.

The blond, using the lightest touch he could, slowly raised Fox's arm to get a better look at the markings, seeing how far they stretched, or the extent of just how much they were bleeding. They didn't look too deep on appearance. Well, at least beneath the cover of the bandages they didn't. "I'm growing more and more sick of these secrets, Thomas." He said quietly, shoveling a handful of snow and then placing it against the bleeding patches on the white material.  
"Is it a secret if it wasn't mine to tell?"  
"Aren't all secrets that?" Newt returned quickly, staring out across the distance.

He fumbled for a minute in the snow, digging around till he found a loose rock and hurled it directly above him, watching for a moment as it vanished completely, before coming back down with a heavy thud. "We're at the edge of the camp. We're about fifteen or so minutes from home. Which means..." He turned slowly and drew a deep line in the snow. "This is where I make my stand Tommy." He said, a sudden hardness etching itself into his eyes. "You finally tell me everything, or I turn around right now. I swear I'll take Fox with me and I'll leave you here. You're not telling me something Tommy!"  
"Just as you're not telling Fox something. Something you want to spare him, because he can't remember how he got here, you want to make sure that he stay's ignorant of it. But you can't Newt, because we both know you don't have that right."  
"How do you think that I'd begin that conversation." The blond stated, walking forward so he was face to face with Thomas, his arms ready to snatch out and claim Fox. His eyes was locked on that soft, slumbering face. So innocent of the truth. How could Newt break that innocence?

He didn't want Fox to bear in the burden which Newt and everyone else around here shared.

No person should have to burden that.

"Maybe with the complete truth."  
"Throwing stones in glass houses there Tommy."

Both stood there, either side of the line, staring the other down. Unspoken words, dividing the line all the more between them.

"Fine then you want me to start explaining?" Thomas said softly, crushing his foot down slowly onto the snow line as he took a step forward. Newt's eyes locked onto him, studying him, completely.  
"Fox was honest with us. It's only fair we're honest with each other."  
"Agreed." Thomas nodded, raising Fox on his back slightly so that the smaller boy was comfy. "The look from before. The one that you've been dying to ask me about for the last two hours." Thomas grinned slightly watching a momentary burst of shock go through Newt's eyes. "Please. Did you really think that I didn't notice? I know you Newt. Your curiosity is like that of our little kitten." Thomas grinned and watched the blonde tense his body. He let out a sigh and slowly looked back up at Newt. "There's a lot still I haven't told you. Especially about the part of the story of how me and the Kitten got here. Unfortunately, before me and him got here, the poor kitten had to deal with his own horrors. "  
"The Cursed Puppeteer." Newt recalled, frowning upon the name as he thought about it.

It reminded him... actually, he remembered back in the forest. Not long after he had found Tommy. In the forest when they had almost been ambushed. Fox had set a trap for those who would call themselves his soldiers.

Thomas nodded, his eyes set on the ground for a long drawn out moment. "That was the nickname that people gave to our little Kitten." Thomas gaze snapped back up. "I look like that because-"  
"You think that if the Kitten can remember that, maybe even subconsciously, then he could remember everything else." Newt said softly, his eyes easing up as he followed Thomas train of thought down it's path. "You think that he could truly remember you and everything that happened."  
"Not all of it. Some of it is way better off forgotten. Some people are-" Thomas skimmed over his word his eyes becoming harder again. "Somethings, are better forgotten."  
"What do you-"  
"I answered that truth Newt. Now it's your turn." Thomas stated firmly.  
"And that truth would be?"  
"What do you want now?"

Newt froze in place, his mouth slightly agape.

"Wh-What do you mean?" The blond stammered, a blush painting his cheeks as he looked into Thomas' eyes.  
"You know my blond angel." The boy returned, looking over his shoulder slightly at their little Kitten who both held dear. "Back when Fox came home to us. That night the three of us slept together that way. Then every night since Fox returned to us again. The three of us have been together. What am I supposed to think Newt-"  
"What am I supposed to say! That I-"  
"That you're in love with Fox." Thomas said in a matter of fact tone. "Or that you're still in love with me?"

Newt stared again, letting the winter wind roll him by, coldly biting into him and brushing his golden hair upwards for a long moment. His heart labored and burned with the answer. The words slid through his throat, desperately trying to clutch their way back to stay hidden. The truth he had been holding back from the moment that he had seen Thomas, or the moment that he had laid with Fox in his arms and Thomas next to him.

"Both." He answered.

Thomas smiled softly.

"Now your turn." Newt snapped coldly. The embarrassment at having the truth finally out and exposed. The truth that he had been trying to understand for over the last month, the truth that he had quietly conceded to those who had hosted them when he had looked for advice on what to do.

The truth that he was in love with both boys.

The truth that from the moment he had held their little Kitten in his arms. From the moment that he had seen the once blond boy leap like a gazelle and fight one of T_he Wicked_, even as the boy had burnt and almost danced in his fight with the fire. From every single moment that Newt had nearly kissed the boy, held him, watched him. Newt had fallen in love with him.

From the moment that he had watched his Tommy come out of the box in the maze. To the moment that one night during the camp fire after a drink, Thomas had looked at him, smiling like an idiot with half lidded eyes till Newt had lent in and kissed him slowly and sweetly, unable to stop laughing with happiness afterwards as he and Tommy had kissed more. He had known he loved him.

Now Newt sat here, his heart not fighting for love with one or the other but only spread itself with equal and growing love for both boys.

Thomas smiled a little sadly as he could already feel the words coming from Newt, even before the blond had thought to ask the question and demand the truth.

"Why do you care so much about the Kitten! What aren't you telling me! What are you to him!"  
"Well." Thomas smiled and Newt could tell it was a sad one and yet one of such a fond memory. "That is the part of the story which I hadn't gotten around to telling you yet. Officially, you could say that I'm Fox's Fiance. Unofficially I guess you could say."

Thomas smiled as he looked at Newt, laughing slightly as he said it.

"I'm his husband?"


	26. It all finally makes sense

**Hi everyone. Thank you to everyone who has favorite and followed this story**** ^_^ Thanks as always to ****fiercetiger333 for all your lovely reviews and comments! ^_^ I also just want to again say a massive thank you to all of you who favourite and followed this story! You're all so amazing ^_^ ****Have a nice day/night wherever you are. Warning: Story contains boyxboy, swearing, scenes of violence. How's this for a quick update?**

* * *

The sound of machines beeping filled the room as Harry was sat in his bed, arms wrapped around his legs. His emerald eyes gazing out softly through the one way window which allowed the doctors to look through at him and see if any progress was being made at all through his recovery. His pale skin shined nearly like porcelain and with the way the light cast down onto him, his mesmeric eyes caught different tones and hues of colour. His silver blond hair glowed like fresh moonlight flowing on his youthful and beautiful face.

In his arms he had a golden faded and stitched teddy bear. One eye was missing and the thing looked as though it had been stitched back together more than just a couple of times, but still Harry clung to it in his arms with all the gentle might that he could. His head lowered over it, breathing in the comfort from it as he was drowning himself in it. His tear splashed against one of the missing eyes and crept down the bear's cheek. It's golden fur was softer and looked taken with time but that didn't matter.

Thomas sighed placing his hand slowly on the door and opening the door with a gentle creak.

Immediately Harry looked up with a smile. His tears forgotten and left behind the mask which now framed his face like a shield readying itself for a strike from a sword. The boy adjusted himself slightly in the light that his eyes caught the gentlest side of it and made his orbs sparkle instead of glisten with the shed tears. His grip around the bear eased up slightly, though one of his hands curled softly through the material. "T-Thomas." He smiled.

He looked just like the boy who had been there to help Thomas. Putting aside what ever it was going on in his head to try and make Thomas feel more at ease. "H-Hey." Thomas whispered softly. Running a hand across his neck as he looked at the silver haired blonde slowly lean forward and rest his chin on his crossed arms. His eyes were soft as always, even if Thomas knew that they were really drowned with some sadness.

"I-I'm sorry." Thomas whispered as the tears broke through the facade he had been trying so desperately to keep up in front of the other boy.

Harry stared at him for a long moment before raising the quilt next to him in invitation, which Thomas took, stumbling slightly in his steps till he was laid next to the blond with Harry's fingers running through his hair. The smaller boy rested his back slightly back as he slid down on the bed, pulling Thomas' head down to his chest as the brunette cried gently, tears falling free as both remembered all that they had seen.

Harry's fingers were soft and precise, gently stroking down the side of Thomas' face, carrying the tears away as the boy let out a gentle sigh. His arms wrapping protectively around Thomas like they could shield him as well from the pain and misery which both shared but only he could truly and deceptively hide. Thomas was something special to him.

Thomas was the only other person in this entire base that was like him.

He let out a soft sigh as Thomas sobbed lightly. He was used to doing this, more or so with himself after a tough mission. But normally he would at least also have the support of his squad. But now they were out there, crushed into the ground, blown apart, filled with bullet holes or left as ash to the wind. _"There's such a difference. Between us." _Harry sang softly, closing his eyes partly as he gazed down gently at the brunette who half turned his head up, staring at the blond as though he was some angel dropped from heaven.

_"And a million miles." _He whispered gently, feeling Thomas' head go down onto his bare chest. He ran a hand through his own hair quickly, sleeking it back from his eyes as he felt the notes forming in his chest. _"Hello from the other side. I must have called a thousand times. To tell you, I'm sorry. For everything that I've done. But when, I call you, you never seem to be home." _He kept singing and humming softly, watching how Thomas' eyes were becoming heavier and more filled with sleep.

For both of them, it was like time hadn't been anywhere over the last month. Sure Harry had been on a drip to get his blood levels back up, even had a blood transfusion after having lost so much. But he had known that all the time he had not been entirely there, Thomas had been at his side.

He turned his eyes sadly to the large glass vase where some roses rested.

He knew Thomas had brought them. The only thing that Daniel ever brought him was news from the front lines and tales of the battles he had been in.

Harry found them about as enjoying as he did having the blood transfusion.

"P-Please don't stop." Thomas whispered gently, staring up at Harry with such soft and yet caring eyes. They were so broken and damaged. So full of pain.  
"Okay." Harry smiled but kept his voice soft as he lent his head down, pressing their foreheads together as he held his friend. The temperature of the cool room made the steaming and inferno temperature of his body more bearable. "But then I need you to close your eyes for me." He pleaded quietly. "Just as you did the night that you came to find me when I woke up."  
"They want you back and training for some scouting." Thomas said coldly, his eyes glaring over to the one way glass.  
"Oh, don't worry about them." Harry just smiled sadly, the years of him serving them seeming weigh heavily in his eyes. The shadows of the room peeled away the mask that he was fighting so hard to keep a grip on but in his exhaustion just seemed to fall further and further apart. "They always want something, but what they want and what they get are two completely different things."  
"I was going to come more often but-"  
"Hey, you don't have to explain it at all to me." Harry smiled weakly, resting his hand on Thomas' cheek. "Just know my guardian of stone. That for as much as you promise to protect me, that I will always be there to fight for you. I will fight Daniel, Jonathan, all of them. I will fight every single one of them because they cannot change me. We're survivors Thomas, living at the edge of the world, trying to find peace and solace in what we know. I will not let them be the reason that I cannot find mine in my friend."  
"Your friend." Thomas said softly. Lowering his head back down to the boy's chest. Harry's slim fingers, carefully stroked through the locks of dark hair.  
"I will always be with you Thomas." The boy said gently, his eyes far too heavy to keep open. Even as he glared up towards the frowning shadow of a boy behind the glass, knowing who was stood behind it. "And I don't care who it is. No one will be taking you away again."

His voice became weaker, even in his exhaustion as he tried to sing the soft words for Thomas.

"N-No one-"

Newt's eyes slammed open as he sat up in bed, holding his head as a slight throbbing ache pounded between his brows like a fresh scolding spike of metal. _D-Damn it! _He snarled, the images and the pain reeling freshly through his mind as he held his other hand over his racing heart. The feeling like someone had been standing on his chest and throat was slowly lifting but still it took a couple of minutes to regain himself, brushing the lose fringe of his hair out of his eyes. He was covered in a light bristle of cold sweat from the dream, but he didn't care.

"N-Newt?" A soft voice whispered as a hand began to crawl out across the blanket, searching for his.  
"It's okay Kitten." He whispered gently, pausing for a minute before staring back down at the large bed which took up the majority of the room.

Originally the bed hadn't taken up much space, but now with an added single pushed onto the double, there wasn't much else room in Newt's humble room. _Man, we really have to get a bigger place. _He thought to himself.  
_I'm with you on that one. _Fox's voice yawned in his head.  
"We're really going to have to talk about all this-" He pointed between their heads then paused as he realized the golden pair of eyes which were locked onto his chest belonged to Fox. In his exhausted state and waking so quickly from his slumber he had-  
"Don't worry." Fox waved his hand lazily in front of his face, grabbing Newt and pulling him back down. "You did me a favour anyway waking me up Blondie. I was having the weirdest-" Fox let out an exhausted yawn. "Weirdest...dream." He whispered softly, before letting out a soft breath and slipping of back into slumber.

Leaving Newt to smile to himself as he watched his Kitten turn over in bed and whimper slightly till Thomas who had joined them in their trio of beds, now held onto Fox, embracing him into his arms and holding him as though he could keep him away from the rest of the world. Sure the sleeping boy's other hand reached out, feeling the slight gap between Newt and Fox, but quickly corrected the situation when it curled around Newt as well and brought him back into their tight little hold.  
"Figure me to get the cuddliest two people as mates." Newt chuckled quietly, feeling his Tommy squeeze his hand brief before he watched Tommy slip back into just as equally deep sleep as their Kitten had.

But even so, lay there he stared off at the ceiling of the room, mostly looking back down to stare at his Kitten's exhausted face. They had sent a message back saying that they had returned and brought Fox back with them. They hadn't mentioned yet that the boy was blind. After all, that wasn't their business to tell. Even so, they had spent no time in collapsing into bed. The day's journey had worn heavily on all three of them, both emotionally and physically.

"Fiance's." Newt mused with a slight smile but mainly thinking about what he had just seen.

Harry. He had just seen a memory of Harry and Thomas. He didn't know how. He didn't know why. It may have been that weird mental connection that he and Fox shared? Maybe something from Fox's subconscious had bubbled over, just as Newt couldn't sometime really control what went between him and the red head, maybe this meant that Fox couldn't really control it either, but instead of a loose thought escaping, this time it had been a memory? A dream? After all, Fox was covered in the same slight shine that Newt was.

"Well I had to come and see it for myself to believe it." A voice grunted.

Newt snapped his gaze up to the entrance, he let out a sigh before gritting his teeth. "Not in here. Let them both sleep. Or at least try and be civil to them."  
"Oh don't worry about getting yourself up. You will be doing plenty of that for both of them. I won't be staying long. Just like I said. I had to see it to believe it."  
"For shuck sake Alby."

The dark skinned boy slowly took a step forward, glaring down across Thomas and Fox. "I see he wen't savage out there? What did he think he was some human doodle pad?"  
"He didn't do it." Newt snapped, his eyes hard set and serious as he saw what Alby was remarking about.

The black brand marks on Newt's little Kitten.

"I heard the reports." Alby said, raising his chin and folding his arms as he shot Fox a slight glance of respect. "Three Wicked and two Betrayed, not including those trapped inside a fallen building and that's just from two or so months ago. Apparently he went blood crazy on the battle field last time, killing everything in sight, like he had some point to prove-"  
"Yeah about that." Newt glared. "Time to cut the act out." The blond gently ran his hand through Fox's hair, mirroring what he had seen in the dream which in both the red head and Thomas had been so calmed by the affectionate touch. "I know Thomas enough to know when he's hiding something and I'm smart enough to know that Fox wouldn't take orders from anyone. If he was being threatened like I had heard he was, then the threat to be used would be one against me and Thomas-"  
Alby said nothing but just looked away, glaring out the doorway.  
"And I mean, someone who could actually pull through with it. You're the only one who could get that close to either Thomas or me. At least while we're still here that is."  
"What is that supposed to mean-"  
"Well here's a little thing that worked last time I used it. A truth for a truth." Newt glared, looking the towering boy down into his eye as Alby had taken a step back towards the doorway. The entrance seemingly the unpainted line which meant if crossed, then neither would be coming back to the other. "Deal?"  
"Newt-"  
"I'll go first. I've seen what life away from this camp could be like." Newt began, cutting Alby off quickly. "I've finally found something which might mean that I can find my happily ever after. If that means getting away from this camp and leaving with my two mates, then so be it."  
"You're leaving?!" Alby barked, rage flinching through his eyes as he took a step forward, then doubled back when the blond shot him a foul glare.  
"Only the friendship which we _had_. Made me return to make sure that I said goodbye before we left for good." Newt stated, looking into the deep of Alby's eyes. "Now, answer me. Who ordered you to blackmail Fox into leaving."

Alby paused, visibly freezing in his steps as he looked back at his old friend. His words as solitary as he was.

"I see." Newt stated, visibly already shutting away Alby as he gently stroked his hand along Fox's cheek and placed a kiss on Tommy's.

"Look, I'm sorry that the kid is blind." Alby stated, shooting a guilty look towards Fox. "I never meant for it to get that far out of hand. But Newt this is far more complicated that you understand. This goes way beyond-"  
"Beyond you being jealous?" Newt barked then paused as a cold smile slid along his face. "No actually, I should thank you. If you hadn't have been so jealous and sent Fox out there into the battlefield, then I would never have gotten Tommy back as well. I would have only been partly complete with my Kitten. But now I also have my Tommy back. Within a day the three of us will be leaving this camp." Newt stated with a stone tone.

He looked Alby square in the eye as the stronger boy took a step back across the line of the doorway.

The sign that even he was walking away from this now.

"And we won't be coming back." Newt said softly.  
"I hope... I hope you find everything that you want together." He said coldly, slamming the door of Newt's hut behind him before he left.

Fox flinched awake, looking around wildly as he sat up. His shoulders tensed, while Tommy was still only lightly stirring. Mumbling and cursing slightly under his breath about being awoken like that.

Newt reached out and hushed their Kitten softly as he wrapped an arm around Fox's shoulder. "Hey, easy there." He said softly. "It was just the wind is all."  
"The wind?" His Kitten frowned slightly.  
"Yeah. Just the passing of something." The blond said a little sadly, earning a puzzled look across the Kitten's face. "I think that you were right about this place." He lent forward, gently laying Fox down against his chest so he could rest his chin on the red head. His fingers stroked softly through the locks as the dream had showed him.  
"I hate to say I told you so." Fox yawned, still completely drained, his eyes half shut as Thomas finally stirred and sat up, joining their embrace to soothe the Kitten. "But I told you so." The red head muttered beneath a stilled yawn.  
"Now, now Kitten." Tommy said softly taping Fox on his nose as though he was telling a small kitten off, though his voice was drowned in amusement at the small boy.

Newt reached out carefully to his side, making sure not to knock anything with his fingers, at least until Fox had slipped back under. "Rest now, we will wake you when we're ready to leave."  
"Come back just to sleep and leave again. We should never have come back, there was no use to us coming back." Fox muttered as his breathing once again became softer and lighter.  
"Oh I don't know." Newt said gently as he thought about one massively important fact which he hadn't confronted Alby on. "I think that there was a lot of use coming back here."

Thomas rose an eyebrow, not saying anything but only earning a slight indication of Newt's head to look over at a small piece of paper which he was quietly scribbling away onto as the blond held and rocked Fox gently.  
"What good could have possibly come from coming back here?" Thomas said gently, pulling the blanket around Fox once more and easing the boy back into the comfort of resting against both Newt's and his chest.

Newt just raised the piece of paper, making Thomas' heart pound and anger to glare through him as he looked at Newt's writing as the piece of paper caught slightly in the soft breeze.

**_'I finally figured it out. I know who truly threatened us and blackmailed Alby into making Fox go into the battlefield.' _**


End file.
